The recent death of a British road worker has provided a stark reminder of the very real dangers posed by the teams working on UK highways.
The Highways Agency has launched an investigation following the accident which took place on the south bound carriage of the A21 near Sevenoaks, Kent.
It’s the first fatality of the year for an industry in which there have been mounting concerns about a recent rise in road worker injuries and fatalities.
Statistics provided by the Highways Agency have shown that between 2003 and 2008 there were 104 serious injuries involving people working on UK roads.
For the period between 2009 and 2013, however, this had risen to 317 seriously injured, with 8 fatalities.
Growing concern over this issue led to the launch of a road worker safety campaign in 2014 with Roads Minister John Hayes calling on the industry to raise standards. He said:
“The safety of those who work around the clock to carry out vital improvements and keep drivers moving after incidents is absolutely paramount.”
With the government having recently announced a £15 billion programme of road improvements, 2015 is viewed as being a pivotal year for the industry and getting to grips with safety.
Raising Standards
This issue of road worker safety and the need to improve the way managers are able to monitor the work of mobile teams is the focus of the latest MyMobileWorkers’ report.
Digital Compliance: The Road to Safer Road Maintenance looks at the current challenges faced by the industry and ways in which technology can help to improve health and safety compliance.
The report includes input from Brian Wise, a road industry expert for Belton Consulting, who highlights the role technology can play in helping to improve compliance standards.
He states:
“The use of cloud-based technology through mobile devices is helping to improve compliance amongst road workers.
“Major benefits are gained from central audit and compliance functions, meaning accurate information is right first time.”
One of the main cloud-based tools that companies are now using to improve health and safety standards is a mobile management system (MMS).
Digital Compliance
MMS is a digital system used to effectively manage and monitor the work of mobile employees. A management dashboard allows head office to keep track of mobile employees’ location and task status via apps installed onto their smartphones.
The system allows vital information, such as site diagrams and compliance checklists, to be digitally delivered to highway teams. Checks and confirmation screens can also be set-up to ensure workers are complying with all of the required safety procedures and regulations.
The real-time nature of MMS allows managers to immediately spot any non-compliance issues or safety risks. The systems also allow images of highways works to be uploaded; providing confirmation that correct procedures are being followed.
Active Solution
The potential of MMS is to fundamentally change the way organisations manage field workers and ensure their employees’ safety. It enables health and safety plans to be actively integrated into the day-to-day routines of mobile workers.
In the past, safety lapses or non-compliance issues were often only revealed when it was too late - when there was an accident or injury. A move to these more effective digital management systems now provides an opportunity for the industry to raise the bar in terms of road worker safety.
Want to know if you're doing enough to keep your workers safe? Find out in our essential guide to road worker safety.
