NFT, the UK’s market leader in chilled food and drink distribution, has demonstrated its commitment to promoting safe transport in the logistics industry with involvement in a first-of-its-kind initiative run by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) on 6th September at Mallory Park, Leicestershire.
IOSH, the Chartered body for health and safety professionals, planned ‘Workplace Transport – Moving it Safely’ to educate health and safety professionals from within the food and drink industry about the challenges and hazards drivers face on a daily basis in the transportation of food and drink products.
Around 80 delegates watched a selection of safety presentations, followed by observing a range of practical demonstrations using stationary vehicles parked in different scenarios, such as a good side manoeuver and a blind side reverse. The aim was to clearly show a driver’s view so delegates also had the chance to sit in the driver’s cab and observe their perspective, for example, how wide a blind spot area can be.
NFT was one of four hauliers who offered to loan a vehicle for use in the demonstrations and Neil Fairbrother, National Health & Safety Manager; David Seaton, Fleet Engineer and Dave Langley, NFT Driver Trainer, all attended the event to assist with the various demonstrations and to respond to technical queries.
Neil Fairbrother, who co-ordinated NFT’s participation, comments: “I am a member of two IOSH industry groups – Retail & Distribution and Food & Drink and was only too happy to get involved. This was a great opportunity for NFT to engage with other operators and co-ordinate with IOSH and I feel we delivered a really informative and valuable day for the delegates.
“We completed a total of four scheduled demonstrations and apart from bad weather conditions the event was extremely successful and well received. It was very obvious that a lot of best practice was shared between the delegates and ourselves and NFT’s presence was clearly appreciated. Having BBC East Midlands along to cover the event was also a great indication of the importance of this type of activity.”
Commenting on the success of the day, IOSH Food and Drink Group chair Neil Catton said: “Giving people the theory and practical demonstrations of how it all works has really made today’s road safety message come alive. “The statistics of work-related RTAs show us that currently, we haven’t hit on the golden formula that leaves company drivers better equipped to deal with driving risks.
“That is why we are calling for all work-related RTAs to be included in RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995) statistics. After all, the more information we have about the incidents, the more we will be able to find common causes of accidents, which will help to determine the best ways of dealing with work-related RTAs.“
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