Fewer injuries but more hours lost - says Volkswagen research

The number of injuries was 6% down on 2022, but resulted in an average of 5.79 days off work – a 17% increase. One in 10 of those injured were off work for more than 13 days.

Downtime is currently estimated to cost companies an average of £550 a day per van, at a time when UK businesses are already feeling the squeeze due to wider economic pressures.

As a result Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has emphasised the importance of training and equipping van drivers to take the necessary precautions when loading and offloading their vehicles to minimise the risk of injury.

The HSE (Heath & Safety Executive) website contains detailed advice on safe manual handling. Major factors include:
1) Planning the lift, making sure the route taken is known along with any obstacles.
2) Breaking up the load into manageable chunks, or asking a colleague for support on large or awkwardly-shaped objects, using lifting aids where possible.
3) Engaging one’s legs to lift an object, driving up from a squat or lunge position to protect the rest of the body.
4) Avoiding twisting the body when lifting a heavy item – it should be lifted and the legs then used to turn as needed.

More positive conclusions from the survey by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles included a significant improvement in the number of UK van drivers adhering to their vehicles’ legal weight restrictions when loading their vans – increasing from 52% in 2022 year to 70%last year. Some 94% of respondents claimed to know the legal weight restrictions for their vans.

Overloading a vehicle by as much as 30% of its gross vehicle weight could lead to a fine of up to £300, so the improvement in awareness should not only improve van safety on the road, but also avoid additional costs to UK businesses.

Published On: 17/10/2024 15:00:00