UK legislation now requires all new vehicles to have front blind spot mirrors fitted to allow drivers to see below them right at the front of the truck. While there is no legal requirement to have older models retrofitted, Lafarge Aggregates & Concrete UK decided the move made sense from a safety perspective.
Around 250 aggregate and asphalt trucks were retrofitted with blind spot mirrors, as the company liaised closely with hauliers to ensure a speedy and efficient turnaround.
Tony Plant, fleet operations manager at Lafarge, said: ‘The process went very well and everyone bought into the idea because it is a step forward in terms of road safety. There have been issues in the past where accidents have occurred with pedestrians stepping out in front of the truck and the driver not being able to see them. This mirror eliminates that blind spot.’
As well as being the only quarry company to have called for a retrofit, Lafarge are also the only firm to carry out regular, in-depth face-to-face induction meetings with its subcontractors to review performance, raise health and safety awareness, consider training and competencies, and measure standards.
Each haulier receives a score from 1 to 5, with a minimum of 3 required to operate for Lafarge. An improvement plan is also given to the subcontractor highlighting areas where work is needed.
‘It is all about raising awareness and standards,’ explained Mr Plant. ‘If there are areas where hauliers fall short then we try and help them improve by offering advice and guidance. The inductions in fact laid the groundwork for our mirror retrofit initiative as we were focusing on the benefits from a road safety point of view. I have to commend all our hauliers because they have been positive about the move and ensured their trucks were adapted within our time frame.’
Around 250 aggregate and asphalt trucks were retrofitted with blind spot mirrors, as the company liaised closely with hauliers to ensure a speedy and efficient turnaround.
Tony Plant, fleet operations manager at Lafarge, said: ‘The process went very well and everyone bought into the idea because it is a step forward in terms of road safety. There have been issues in the past where accidents have occurred with pedestrians stepping out in front of the truck and the driver not being able to see them. This mirror eliminates that blind spot.’
As well as being the only quarry company to have called for a retrofit, Lafarge are also the only firm to carry out regular, in-depth face-to-face induction meetings with its subcontractors to review performance, raise health and safety awareness, consider training and competencies, and measure standards.
Each haulier receives a score from 1 to 5, with a minimum of 3 required to operate for Lafarge. An improvement plan is also given to the subcontractor highlighting areas where work is needed.
‘It is all about raising awareness and standards,’ explained Mr Plant. ‘If there are areas where hauliers fall short then we try and help them improve by offering advice and guidance. The inductions in fact laid the groundwork for our mirror retrofit initiative as we were focusing on the benefits from a road safety point of view. I have to commend all our hauliers because they have been positive about the move and ensured their trucks were adapted within our time frame.’
