Health and Safety Executive to take centre stage at FTA van events

Friday 16 March 2018

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will provide the keynote speaker for this year’s Freight Transport Association (FTA) Van Excellence Operational Briefings. The focus of the events, which are selling out fast, will be the impact of drivers’ health and wellbeing on safety.

The briefings, in Glasgow, Oxford and Derby this April, will feature a host of expert speakers, including Alan Craddock, the HSE’s Head of Transport and Public Services. Other contributors will include Andrew Brown from the men’s mental health charity CALM, The Driving Doctor, Paul Ripley and Andy Neale from NFE Group. The aim is to highlight the benefits of good driver management and the possible risks of ignoring the human element of running a van fleet.

FTA’s Head of Vans, Mark Cartwright, will be hosting the events. He is delighted to have secured such a breadth of expertise:

“Safety is central to the Van Excellence programme and it has always placed real importance on the value of caring for the health and wellbeing of van drivers. I am extremely pleased that Alan Craddock from the HSE will be joining our group of leading experts in this field. They will be able to share the latest research and give practical advice on a variety of issues, including mental health, stress and managing an ageing workforce.”

He says employers can underestimate the value of prioritising their drivers’ health:

“Caring for the physical and mental health of your staff isn’t just about being a considerate employer. Drivers who get behind the wheel when they’re unwell, exhausted or distracted by personal issues are less effective and more likely to have an accident. Evidence shows that staff who are happy take fewer sick days and are more likely to stay in their jobs.

“The Van Excellence team wants to highlight that fact that organisations which don’t have efficient systems for monitoring and intervening to deal with poor driver health and behaviour can, in the worst cases, face prosecutions, fines or even imprisonment. “

The Operational Briefings are supported by Van Excellence Platinum Partner, Mercedes-Benz Vans, and Gold Partners Bott, Brigade Electronics, Hertz and Lex Autolease and are run by FTA’s Van Excellence Team. They are open to all organisations using vans during daily business, whether a single vehicle or a large fleet.

The FTA’s Van Excellence Operational Briefings 2018 take place on 10th April at Celtic Park, Glasgow, 12th of April at Kassam Stadium, Oxford and on 19th April at Pride Park in Derby. Bookings are now being taken, priced at £50 + VAT per person, by calling 03717 11 22 22 or visiting Van Excellence Operational Briefings 2018.

FTA Press Office

01892 552255
press.office@fta.co.uk