Last month a waste disposal company was fined £20,000 for a fork lift truck reversing accident that seriously injured an employee. This, coupled with the Health and Safety Executive's latest report stating that fork lift trucks were responsible for the highest percentage of serious transport related injuries in the workplace in the last year* sees Cobra UK encouraging employers to take their Duty of Care responsibilities seriously.
Overall, more than a fifth of all workplace transport injuries in the past 12 months involved a fork lift truck. Leaders in the provision of security and safety solutions for the automotive industry, Cobra UK urges employers to ensure their fork lift truck drivers are well trained and fully equipped with reversing cameras and monitors, to reduce the number of reversing accidents that occur in the work place.
"Cobra's bespoke rear view reversing cameras and monitors can be the extra pair of eyes a driver needs when behind the wheel in difficult operating conditions. They can minimise the hefty bills a fork lift can easily incur in reversing related body damage, while helping employers meet Duty of Care responsibilities," says Andrew Smith, Managing Director, Cobra UK Limited.
The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (1998) require all lifting equipment, including fork lift trucks to be strong, stable and used safely. In order to adhere to these regulations and meet their Duty of Care requirements, it is imperative that employers ensure their drivers are fully equipped and well trained in the safe operation of their machinery.
Cobra UK's wide range of mix and match rear view camera and monitor combinations, including infra-red solutions for night use, offer drivers ease of use, while giving both employer and driver the peace of mind of being able to clearly see what is behind them in all light conditions.
"Our rear view reversing cameras and monitors offer employers a proactive and cost effective solution in the battle to improve health and safety standards in the workplace," continues Smith.
With the ability to illuminate the road in the dark or in poorly lit areas, drivers can literally see what is behind their vehicle when reversing at any time of day or night, while the range of compact dash mounted colour screens display a bright high resolution rear view image as soon as the reverse gear is selected, enabling operators to reverse more safely.