A major risk factor affecting HGV drivers is fatigue. Often, working in this
sector is not characterised by the typical "9 to 5” working hours. Research
shows that driver fatigue is a significant factor in approximately 20% of
commercial road transport crashes. A new report titled: Tackling Fatigue: EU
Social Rules and Heavy Goods Vehicle Drivers is published as part of the ETSC
PRAISE project, Preventing Road Accidents and Injuries for the Safety of
Employees.

The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) is a Brussels-based independent
non-profit making organisation dedicated to reducing the numbers of deaths and
injuries in transport in Europe.

ETSC has launched PRAISE, a 3 year project addressing all safety aspects of
driving ‘at' work and driving ‘to' work. Its aim is to "praise” best
practices in order to help employers secure high road safety standards for
their employees.

The 7th Thematic Report aims to offer employers insight into tackling fatigue
amongst HGV drivers. Fatigue is one of main risks for this group of
professional drivers.

The report looks at the involvement in HGVs in collisions and collision
causation factors including fatigue. It gives an overview of EU legislation on
driving and resting times and implementation. The final part looks specifically
at how fatigue risk management by employers can lead to improvements in road
safety performance. The report includes many different good practice examples
and makes recommendations for the EU, Member State governments and employers.

More information

AplusA-online.de - Source: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work