The day started with John Blackburn, HM Principal Inspector of Health and Safety, speaking on the Role of the HSE in Work Related Road Safety. This was one of the HSE priority programmes and an inspector calling at a workplace would want to see how this was managed. The three Risk Control Indicators (RCIs) were Safe Site, Safe Driver, Safe Vehicle. There were no magic wands - it needed sustained efforts on all fronts. Just one weakness in otherwise excellent arrangements can kill e.g. failure to monitor behaviour

As far as accident on the public roads were concerned, HSE policy was that where there was more specific legislation enforced by others HSE will not seek to enforce. However, where investigations by others reveal management failings regarding road transport HSE may (and has) become involved.

He was followed by Roger Bibbings, Occupational Safety Advisor RoSPA who spoke on Making Work-related Road Safety a Mainstream Health and Safety Issue. He highlighted how this was the UK's biggest occupational safety issue with 800 - 1000 deaths per annum ('at work' drivers/passengers/pedestrians, other road users) compared with 450 RIDDOR reports from the workplace. It was relatively high risk and H&S law applies (but not enforced). There was a strong 'business' and 'safety' case and it fitted in with the 'Changing world of work' agenda. MORR could contribute to national Road Safety targets. He welcomed the new HSE/DfT Guidance. The same techniques that were used in the workplace could be applied to managing occupational road risk: eliminate, reduce, isolate, control, adapt. This was an issue where HSE could and should take a higher profile. MORR was the "dream ticket" - everybody won.

Dr Alastair Leckie, Consultant in Occupational Medicine with OHSAS, dealt with Fitness for Driving. He took delegates in detail through the intricacies of the various medical requirements applying to those driving the different kinds of vehicles on the public roads

Huw (Shuggie) Owen, Regional Account Manager of Drive and Survive UK PLC took delegates through One More Second - a series of slides which posed questions to the delegates about how they would react, how they assessed a situation and what their actual performance was like when faced with multi-tasking and quick decisions. How easy it is to lose one's concentration!

Peter Campbell, Training Adviser/CPCS Instructor CITB dealt with the complexities of the Operation of Mobile Equipment in the Presence of Personnel on the Ground. He outlined the variety and numbers of mobile plant and people that you could get on a building site. You have a congested construction site with personnel on foot, and mobile machines working in the same area, at the same time! There was a nation-wide, past history of persons being struck or crushed by operating or moving equipment coupled with the impression that the equipment operator always knows where the ground personnel are located. He gave the detailed requirements that had to be met if a contruction site was going to be safe.

After lunch, Paul Richardson, Road Safety Manager Lothian and Borders Police, spoke on Managing Occupational Road Risk: about road safety. In March 2000 the Government launched their strategy to reduce casualties on the road for 2010, 'TOMORROW'S ROADS - SAFER FOR EVERYONE'. The Strategy set 3 specific casualty reduction targets;40% reduction in all Fatal & Serious Casualties, 50% reduction in Child Fatal & Serious Casualties, 10% reduction in the slight casualties expressed as a rate per 100,00 vehicle kilometres. The Baseline was average number of casualties between 1994 and 1998. Progress had been good in the first few years in Lothian and Borders. However it might be more difficult to achieve the same level of reductions in future years.

The government set up a task group comprising of industry representatives, Government (DfT and HSE), Safety organisations such as RoSPA and the Police.

Their task was to identify the scale of the problem and to make recommendations for action. It was felt that there was no need to introduce further legislation. The current Health & Safety legislation was sufficiently robust to be applied to on the road activities.

Employers currently have the tools of risk management which can be used to manage on the road activities. However it was felt that the Government through the DfT and the HSE should produce specific guidelines for employers on how to encourage employers to manage on the road risks with specific example of best practice.

Paul described the FLEETSURE award of Lothian and Borders Police - an award/incentive scheme for fleet operators of all sizes that rewards good practice.

This was to have been followed by a practical demonstration with some delegates being given a chance to try out a police reaction time vehicle with the rest watching the action via a live link-up. However, the machine broke down two days before the conference and could not be repaired in time. A series of clips from public service road safety adverts from around the world were shown instead - the most hard hitting came from Northern Ireland.

Graeme Barrie, Consultant, Corporate Health and Safety Solutions went through the details and consequences of a fatal accident which had occurred in his previous employment. The causes were clear as indeed how easily it could have been prevented. A reminder, if one was needed, to delegates that real people suffered and died due to inadequate health and safety systems.

The day finished with Mac Young, HSE Working Time Directive Officer for Scotland, speaking about Working Time in Relation to Road Safety and how this might change once the Directive was further implimented in the UK. He also outlined some road accident fatalities which had been investigated with a view to prosecution and the outcome.

In one case, there had been two fatalities following a collision between two vehicles, one person driving in the course of his employment. A Fatal Accident Enquiry was held. This returned a formal determination: no specific cause. Sheriff said in conclusion "In this case I have been unable to find on the evidence that either sleep or tiredness was a causative factor ... It seems . that this will normally be the case in a FAI into the death of a driver at work where there is no surviving passenger to speak to the state of alertness of the driver immediately before the incident".

Overall, a thought provoking day giving delegates much to think about and do once they left.

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