Government To Review Potential Risks

The Department for Transport’s decision to carry out a safety review of industrial sites close to roads and railways has been welcomed by an accident at work expert at Irwin Mitchell.

Following the closure of M1 junctions near to the site of a scrapyard fire in north London, the government is to work with the Highways Agency and Network Rail to compile a list of places where transport links could be at risk following a work accident.

The aim is to learn lessons from the recent problems by pre-empting potential risks and ensuring they are properly managed by businesses close to motorways and railways.

David Urpeth, national head of workplace injuries at Irwin Mitchell, said that the audit has the potential to offer a number of benefits.

“As well as ensuring Britain’s transport links remain active in times of difficulty, the review is likely to reinforce health and safety standards on a number of sites,” he explained.

“Recent events have shown that large-scale industrial accidents can have a massive impact on a number of different people. Ultimately the best way to avoid such problems is to follow the right safety measures at all times.

“This audit will hopefully be a step in the right direction on addressing potential problems before they even occur, meaning both workers and members of the public are safe from the risk of serious injury.”