In October 2007 the council's Environmental Health service is highlighting the need for industrial businesses to move goods safely, as part of a national health and safety awareness campaign.
Sussex-wide Campaign in October 2007
Local authorities across Sussex are working in partnership with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to promote the national Moving Goods Safely initiative, aimed at industrial companies where the movement of goods forms a fundamental aspect of their work activities.
The Sussex campaign will concentrate on the movement of white goods, such as washing machines and other household equipment and builders merchants from collection to delivery to the final customer.
The aim of the campaign is to reduce injuries and the ill health of employees arising from the movement of goods from supplier through to the recipient and to the end user, including home deliveries.
Inspections and Advice
Environmental Health Officers at Eastbourne Borough Council and HSE Inspectors will be visiting local businesses to offer advice on good working practises and legal obligations. Enforcement action can be taken however if serious examples of bad working practices are uncovered.
The site visits will focus on the delivery and collection of goods to assess working hazards such as people being struck by vehicles, falls from vehicles, manual handling from loading and unloading, and slips and trips on vehicles and loading bays.
The need for this initiative cannot be clearer - in 2005/06 a total of 50 cargo haulage or delivery related accidents were reported in East Sussex with a further 74 being reported in West Sussex. The human cost aside, these accidents cost this sector over £110 million annually.
Find out more about the national Moving Goods Safely project on the HSE website, with guidance documents to download and resources from related campaigns including the Falls from Vehicles campaign.
