Health and safety campaign launched in Mid Ulster to help reduce workplace transport deaths

The campaign aims to to promote HSENI’s ongoing inspection programme aimed at reducing the number of people killed or injured as a result of incidents involving workplace transport.

The awareness campaign will include television and radio advertising, outdoor advertising across Northern Ireland, and social media messaging.

The campaign has been launched with a mobile billboard visiting every council area in Northern Ireland, to promote awareness of the risks associated with workplace transport, and urging extra care and attention, whether in a factory, construction site, quarry, farm or any workplace.

In the ten years to 2022 incidents involving workplace vehicles across almost all work setting claimed the lives of 34 workers and left 162 others with serious injuries.

The campaign has been supported and endorsed by the Department for the Economy, and a range of industry representative bodies, including Construction Employers Federation (CEF),

Manufacturing NI, Waste Industry Safety & Health Committee (NI) (WISHNI), Ulster Farmers Union (UFU), Mineral Products Association Northern Ireland (MPANI), Utility Regulator and the NI Safety Group.

HSENI Chief Executive Robert Kidd said: “Workplace transport safety continues to be our priority for this year and employers should expect it to be an important element of our inspections.”

Incidents resulting in death or injury include, workers being struck by a vehicle, vehicles overturning, falling from or being thrown from a vehicle, and injuries resulting from items falling from unsecured loads. The vehicles involved include forklift trucks and tractors.