Requirement 5.1 of the CLOCS Standard requires a vulnerable road user risk assessment to be conducted and maintained throughout the life of the project. This is a very different approach to a workplace risk assessment and there is no common methodology in place across the construction sector.
In this safety forum we were joined by Glen Davies from CLOCS Delivery Partner AtoH Solutions. Glen has worked with a range of construction companies and projects where he has adapted best practices from other transport sectors to develop a vulnerable road user risk assessment methodology. This approach was shared with CLOCS Safety Forum members, helping us all gain a better understanding of road safety.
Glen shared his own experience and insights in how to approach a risk assessment taking a specific look at the impact on vulnerable road users. He shared a number of real-life examples from projects across the UK highlighting that this is something that every construction project should be adopting where there is a risks to the local community from construction traffic.
Glen talked about defining the route and the importance of designated start points and release points so that all deliveries had a defined last-mile route to and from the project, and also looked at some specific risks influencing the selection of a route.
Glen talked through a number of control measures:
- road risk standards
- traffic routing
- delivery management
- compliance monitoring
Finally, Glen highlighted the importance of having a robust system to ensure that routes, and any subsequent changes, can be communicated to drivers.
Key points
- Turning a blind eye can be both devastating and costly
- All sites are unique and pose different risks to vulnerable road users
- Route options can range from straightforward to complex
- A route designated by the local authority is not necessarily a bad thing
- A common methodology can be adopted with a little industry leadership
- The CLOCS Standard includes ready made risk mitigations
A copy of Glen’s presentation can be found here.
Looking forward
Glen highlighted the need for a common methodology and CLOCS is looking to develop a robust methodology that can be used by all, along with appropriate guidance, templates and case studies.
Should you wish to contact Glen, he can be emailed at glen@atoh.solutions.
And finally…
Our thanks to Glen for giving up his time to share his knowledge and insights on this subject with the CLOCS community, and thanks also those who attended sharing their own thoughts and experiences.
CLOCS needs you
These Safety Forums are designed to support and inform CLOCS members so please do let us know if you have any suggestions for future topics or whether you, or someone you know, would want to come along to a future Forum and share their expertise on a particular topic.
If you can think of anything or anyone, please contact the team at support@clocs.org.uk.
