Posted By Tony Bish Might be worth a look at the HSE web site under waste management. They have just issued new guidance entitled " Waste and Recyling Vehicles in Street Collection" where the driver is shown to be helped by a reversing assistant or assistants. Similar principle to the traditional banksman, but directed more at making it safe for the driver to manouver than to signal which way to turn.

Posted By AJM Oh yes I have mentioned one particular case to them where as i remember it cost a big retail company £800,000 that was partly caused by the lack of a banksman. Also I mention all the time that an accident costs a company £1200 according to HSE figures. You wouldnt believe I have actually reduced accidents by 50% here thus saving the company £4000 a month. Maybe I take things to serious, but I am very passionate about my work as most are in this field. But we dont all work in environments where things are embraced so easily. To get to that is the biggest challenge of all. Thanks for help so far anyway. Alan

Posted By shane I assume that we are all bearing in mind that a banksman is at the bottom of the HSE hierachy of controls for vehicle movements?!

Posted By Steve B AJM, Its never easy convincing managment to spend money on something they dont understand or dont want to understand. Q. How many reversing accidents have you had? Q. Banksman training for reversing vehicles is quite a simple process and the HSE produce Workplace transport safety HSG 136, why not do it yourself? save money for your managment, get the training done, issue a Safety instruction, get the management to implement it, monitor and review. its a Win Win, of course I am saying all this without understanding your background. Regards Steve

Posted By AJM Thanks for all the replies and ideas, but to answer a few points from the thread. 1. Yes Shane requiring a banksman is the bottom of the HSE hierarchy of controls for vehicle movements, I took it for granted you would think all other options one way traffic etc had been looked at by me. 2. The work is loading and unloading vehicles on site (approx 10-15 per day) by fork truck 3.5t,7.5, and articulated lorries, these vehicles are delivery vehicles that come from anywhere including abroad. 3. The main problem is the company has grown outside the size of the site so reversing is required some smaller delivery vehicles we have on site are in a one way system but not the lorries. 4. My main concern is some people already watch trucks out but I am sure the HSE would require these people to be competent, but trying to get management to realize this is often difficult. An old saying I always remember is "There is no one so blind as those that don't want to see" 5. I have considered doing it myself I do the training and awareness in the company also, but the last time I did I had to do 35 truck drivers in 1 hour sessions 2 at a time not the best time management for me although when I got to the last 2 I was motoring lol. If I have an outside company in they will all get done at once. £300 for 12 people to be banksman trained equating to £25 per person, surely I couldn't of got it much cheaper especially when you think of my wages for 6 sessions of 4 hours but as usual most of these people never look at the big picture. Anyway sorry to sound bitter, this place is getting more like a confessional for me lol. Thanks again for the help.