The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a stark warning to employers after new data revealed that being struck by a moving vehicle remains one of the leading causes of workplace fatalities in Great Britain, with reversing incidents accounting for a significant proportion.
Over the past five years, an average of 21 workers have been killed annually in vehicle-related accidents, representing 16% of all fatal work-related injuries. Many of these deaths occurred in predictable circumstances, and were entirely preventable.
“What strikes me most about these cases is not the complexity of the failures, but their simplicity,” said John Rowe, Deputy Director for Technical Support and Engagement at the HSE. “Time and again, we see deaths that could have been prevented by basic measures that cost far less than the fines that are ultimately imposed.”
Recent prosecutions have highlighted a disturbing pattern: reversing vehicles continue to cause fatal injuries across multiple sectors, including agriculture (27% of vehicle deaths), construction, and transportation and storage (17% each).
Many of these incidents share similar failings: pedestrians and vehicles sharing space, broken reversing aids, and poor traffic management. In some cases, there were no designated pedestrian walkways or no banksman present to guide drivers. In others, reversing cameras and alarms had been left broken, or procedures were ignored in the rush to meet delivery schedules.
The HSE emphasises that preventing such deaths starts with safe site design and clear separation between vehicles and pedestrians. Employers should:
- Establish dedicated walkways with physical barriers.
- Implement one-way traffic systems to eliminate the need for reversing.
- Ensure adequate lighting and visible pedestrian routes.
Vehicle maintenance is equally critical. Reversing aids such as CCTV, audible alarms and sensors are essential safety equipment, not optional extras. Defective systems must be repaired immediately, and any vehicle with faults taken out of service until safe to operate.
People remain central to workplace safety. All drivers, including contractors and visiting drivers, should understand site-specific risks, know when to request assistance, and feel empowered to stop work if conditions become unsafe.
HSE also stresses the role of supervision and behavioural safety: managers must lead by example, challenge unsafe practices, and ensure that safety procedures are consistently followed.
In recent months, fines of up to £2.5 million have been handed down in cases involving fatal reversing incidents. But, as HSE points out, the true cost is borne by the families left behind.
With simple, proven control measures available, the regulator is calling on all employers to make vehicle safety fundamental to their operations before another life is needlessly lost.
Comprehensive guidance on workplace transport safety is available at: www.hse.gov.uk/workplacetransport.
HSE warns of deadly risks from reversing vehicles at work