Efforts to reduce impact on cyclists applauded as safety tool trials start

More than 10 construction-related companies have signed up to take part in the trial of new database aimed at reducing cycling accidents involving construction vehicles. The new tool was launched at a summit in London yesterday organised by CLOCS (Construction Logistics and Cyclist Safety) at London’s Guildhall, where Transport for London’s (TfL) transport chief Sir Peter Hendy (pictured) applauded the industry’s efforts to improve road safety.

Trials of the new tool, which has been developed by CLOCS, are due to start on 21 July with the launch of the new software launched at the end of August.

The web-based tool, first reported by CM in June, will enable the construction industry to log, collate and share accident and near miss data and in doing so make it easier to study and learn safety lessons helping to further improve the safety of all road users.

Ian Vincent, CLOCS Workstream 2 leader, urged both construction vehicle operators and contracting companies to sign up to CLOCS’ Manager when it is launched at the end of the summer. “The more people we get to use it the more accurate the information will be and the more valuable it becomes in terms of producing benchmarks and best practice across the industry.  There will be no fee to use it,” he said.

Vincent added that a number of clients are keen to support the new system, which provided a means of complying with the new CLOCS Standard, which clients are being encouraged to write into construction contracts. He hopes that eventually those who use it will be eligible for lower insurance premiums because they will be able to demonstrate they are reducing risks.

At the meeting, Sharon Field of FM Conway told delegates that their monitoring and reviewing of collisions has resulted in a significant reduction in traffic incidents. FM Conway sees real benefits from companies using the new CLOCS Manager system which they are trialling with other CLOCS Champions including Cemex, Costain, and O’Donovan (Waste Disposal) which between them operate skips, mixers and tipper trucks.

Since CLOCS was launched by TfL in 2013 in the wake of a report which showed that many fatal accidents involving cyclists and pedestrians were the result of collisions with construction vehicles, momentum has quickly gathered pace with clients, contractors and suppliers throwing their weight behind the initiative. The industry was congratulated at the summit, attended by 120 construction experts, by Sir Peter Hendy CBE, London’s Transport Commissioner, for redrawing safety boundaries to reduce the number of collisions between trucks and vulnerable road users.

Also at the summit industry leaders, including Lafarge Tarmac and FM Conway, spoke about the safety improvements they are making to their operations and how the construction industry is leading the drive to improve the safety of cyclists and pedestrians.

Academics and vehicle manufacturers outlined their research and progress in designing safer trucks for the construction industry and all CLOCS members have agreed that the same rigorous approach to safety observed on construction sites will now be applied to road safety in their industry.

A range of trucks used in construction were on hand so delegates could experience how the blind-spot reduction in emerging truck designs compares to a typical construction truck.

Leon Daniels, managing director of surface transport at TfL, said: “The response of this industry to our initial cycle safety report last year continues to amaze us. They have moved road safety to the top of their agenda and today’s event shows they want to keep it there. Their on-going revolution in construction logistics and road safety will dramatically increase the safety of all road users and especially the most vulnerable.

“We look forward to continuing to work alongside these businesses to ensure these tough new standards are properly embedded and enforced and develop new vehicles that are safer for everyone.”

Sean McGrae, senior national transport manager at Lafarge Tarmac, told the meeting: “Lafarge Tarmac has redrawn the boundaries in terms of fleet safety and health, by applying the same rigorous safety rules and reporting the activities of our fleet both out on the road and when on our own sites.

“We believe that by understanding and owning incidents which take place beyond our site boundaries, so we can investigate and learn from them; an important step in helping to continually improve road safety for all road users.”

The CLOCS programme is the industry’s response to a report commissioned by TfL in February 2013. It brings together developers, construction companies, operators, vehicle manufacturers and regulatory bodies to ensure a road safety culture is embedded across the construction industry.

In a survey being organised Construction Manager a large number of respondents have highlighted the lack of safety awareness displayed by cyclists to road safety. Vincent said CLOCS had plans to work with the cycling community.

The summit also heard how Mace has become the first construction company to bear the CLOCS branding as part of its construction site hoarding lines at three London sites.

At the meeting, construction fleet operators outlined the challenges facing them. Most construction vehicle designs focused on their off-road capabilities which placed the driver higher in the cab and reduced the driver’s field of direct vision. Fleet operators are having to retrofit safety equipment and through the CLOCS programme are now working with vehicle manufacturers on new truck designs.

By ensuring that their suppliers conform to the standard, safety improvements can be cascaded through the construction industry.

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