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News release

19 October 2010 - NR 46/10

Event jump-starts campaign to drive down garage-related deaths

This week signals the start of a Kent-wide scheme aimed at reducing the death and injury toll in the motor vehicle repair (MVR) and allied industries.

Central and local government bodies, with the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) - the world’s largest health and safety body for professionals - held a joint event at Brands Hatch Circuit, Kent, yesterday (18 October) to give students and businesses the essential tools for keeping safe in a garage environment.

Over the past five years, there have been over 8,000 reportable injuries and 24 deaths in Britain’s MVR industry. And yesterday, IOSH’s South East Branch’s ‘Best practice in MVR: Kent campaign’ day raised awareness of a new joint scheme from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Kent Fire and Rescue Service and Kent Local Authorities, which aims to reduce that toll.

Health and safety consultants, one hundred MVR students, plus employers and employees from vehicle body shops, tyre, parts and other garages took part in morning and afternoon sessions at the famous circuit.

Sally Parkes,Vice- Chair of IOSH’s South East Branch, said: “The event is designed to show that if you have robust health and safety systems in place then you will do a good job of fixing cars. If not, you put workers at risk of respiratory problems which can stop you doing your job and will cost the garage money. It makes economical sense to be safe.”

Over the next 12 weeks, 3-400 MVR businesses will be visited under the new Common Approach to Vehicle Enterprise (CAVE) scheme by environmental officers from the local authorities and HSE inspectors. They will give advice to garages on how to comply with safety and maintenance standards, to help keep employees safe and healthy at work. By focusing on the most common causes of accidents –for example, poorly maintained lifting equipment, dust and other substances that can lead to breathing problems or dermatitis – it should help to cut the number of incidents.

Mike Walters, HSE Principal Inspector for Kent, said CAVE will make inspections easier, more consistent and cost effective, compared with the old system where visits were split between authorities depending on the type of work undertaken at the garage.

He said: "This event is an ideal opportunity for those within the industry to learn how they can comply with current health, safety and fire legislation. They all need to play their part in ensuring that standards are improved to help prevent needless deaths and injuries which are happening each year in this sector.

“The event will also help businesses gauge where they are in relation to health and safety and then make the necessary changes to improve standards on their respective sites."

Darren Harvey and Mark Richards, Senior Fire Protection Managers at Kent Fire and Rescue Service, presented morning and afternoon sessions.

Darren said: “Last year we attended a fire in a car repair garage, the fire safety deficiencies were so poor that we were forced to take action. This is something we want to see less of in the future.

“Kent has a high percentage of small and medium sized businesses with limited resources, many MVR premises sit within these groups. Kent Fire & Rescue Service is committed to helping businesses and the built environment through fire safety education and support. The CAVE campaign is about making sure we drive down these sad statistics of work-related injury, ill-health and death. And that we stem the tide of business closures because of poor health and safety.”

- Ends -

Notes for editors:

IOSH is the Chartered body for health and safety professionals. With more than 40,000 members in 85 countries, we’re the world’s biggest professional health and safety organisation.

We set standards, and support, develop and connect our members with resources, guidance, events and training. We’re the voice of the profession, and campaign on issues that affect millions of working people.

IOSH was founded in 1945 and is a registered charity with international NGO status.