Safety leaders and industry experts gathered last week at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire for CILT(UK)'s 11th Annual Transport Logistics Safety Forum (TLSF) Conference, Gianluca Spataro reports for CILT(UK).
The conference theme 'Hidden in Plain Site' highlighted the need for constant vigilance and fresh perspectives towards familiar safety challenges for everyday workplace hazards.
The event proved particularly significant as it coincided with the 50th anniversary of the Health and Safety at Work Act.
A Poignant Setting
Glen Davies FCILT, Chair of the TLSF, opened the conference with a powerful reminder of its purpose. "Raising the profile and helping to tackle some of the most topical and sensitive issues faced within our industry is what this forum is in place to champion," he said.
"We are a conference and a forum that is passionate about saving lives and preventing injury, we are also at a venue that reminds us of and celebrates people that have lost their lives in certain campaigns."
Glen also shared a personal tribute to a friend and former colleague from the Royal Logistics Corps who lost his life on operational duty, underlining the conference's vital mission.
Key Topics and Discussions
The conference addressed several crucial areas:
- Workplace transport – Injuries, fatalities and prosecutions
- Site Dynamics - Understanding people movement and materials handling
- Managing traffic in a transport and logistics setting
- Vehicle safety – eliminating blind spots and improving driver vision
Expert Insights
A highlight was the panel session featuring Clare Bottle FCILT, CEO of UKWA, Elliot Kenton, Partner at Weightmans LLP, and Sarah Richards, Senior Logistics Manager at HS2. Sarah emphasised the critical importance of safety in transport and logistics environments, sharing personal experiences of workplace accidents.
Clare stressed the importance of vigilance, encouraging attendees to look out for 'red flags' and to be ‘more curious,’ emphasising that safety culture requires constant attention and genuine care for people.
The Legal Perspective
Risk assessments emerged as a crucial theme, with Elliot describing them as 'the really simple stuff' that often gets overlooked. He noted concerning instances where businesses either lacked risk assessments entirely or had inadequate ones in place.
Future Challenges and Technology
Nina Day, Senior Policy Advisor for Health and Safety Executive (HSE), also spoke of the importance of risk assessments and highlighted emerging health and safety challenges around AI, automated vehicles, robots and an ageing workforce.
Phil Moon, Marketing Manager at DAF Trucks discussed an interesting concept he described as ‘the new generation of DAF’ with technology in place to improve safety by replacing mirrors completely and changing them with DAF’s Digital Vehicle System.
The system replaces traditional mirrors with cameras mounted on the upper sides of the lorry. Inside the cab, the driver can view their surroundings on 12-inch screens positioned at the corners. These screens function as the driver’s mirrors, utilising DAF’s Vision System for enhanced visibility.
Additionally on the topic of new technology, Dr Azmat Muhammad from Aston University presented innovative solutions, including smart glasses tech that could help drivers optimise routes and prevent incorrect deliveries.
Driver Wellbeing in Focus
Despite existing regulations limiting daily driving hours to nine, driver wellbeing and fatigue remain significant concerns. Karen Crispe FCILT, TLSF Committee Member and Managing Director of Convey, noted: "Even though we have this law restricting the number of hours drivers can do to stop fatigue, it’s still clearly a big issue within our industry which means driver wellbeing is also a concern."
Industry Concerns Revealed
The CILT TLSF committee asked delegates what areas they found most troubling about driver management.
A survey of 74 shared the following concerns:
- Driver Health and Wellbeing – 30%
- Management of drivers – 24%
- Expertise of Transport Managers – 19%
- Handling Drug and Alcohol issues in the workplace – 15%
- New drivers entering the industry – 11%
- Proposed changes to CPC – 1%
Looking Ahead
The conference concluded with delegates identifying training as a priority for future sessions. Glen Davies outlined the next steps: "One of the key things we will take away as a committee is what to do next, identifying where the gaps in the industry are and how we can fill them."
"We hope to use this information to inform the Forum's 2025 focus and develop an industry led tool or code of practice that demonstrates the power of collaboration within our profession," he concluded.