Welcome to STOPThink!

Welcome to the latest issue of STOPThink!

As we move into the latter part of the year, I wanted to use this opportunity to highlight some important considerations around road safety, particularly as the seasonal shift and shorter daylight hours bring increased risks for those of us on the road. Remaining vigilant and making time to prepare can make a significant difference to your safety and the safety of others.

Driving is something that is part of our day-to-day lives and it is easy to become complacent about and underestimate the related risks. As we head into the colder, darker months, it is vital that we make sure our vehicles are winter-ready. Simple things like regularly checking your tyres, brakes, and lights can prevent breakdowns and accidents. Our teams are reminded regularly of the importance of vehicle checks, and it’s something we should all be doing, whether for work or personal journeys. Planning prior to undertaking your journey is important, particularly in adverse weather where it is important allow additional time to deal with conditions such as fog, ice or heavy rain. We often underestimate how much a vehicle’s handling can change with weather conditions and how stopping distances significantly increase in wet or icy conditions. 

Managing fatigue especially for those driving long distances to and from site is essential as this is one of the leading causes of road accidents. Fatigue can creep up on us, impairing our judgement and reaction times, and it is critical that we take regular breaks and avoid driving when feeling tired. This applies not only to our teams working on site but to all of us who drive regularly for any purpose. It is easy to underestimate and overlook how tiring driving can be, particularly at the end of a long shift and particularly with a varied shift pattern that includes working nights.

We should challenge ourselves whether driving is the best option. The risks of travelling by train are far lower and offers a much safer alternative. The accident rates for rail travel are very significantly lower than road travel. Where practicable, we should prioritise and plan to use safer alternatives such as rail travel.

This month’s publication features various social value activities along with great feedback from the community and launch of our Leaving a Legacy project. The health and wellbeing theme is Mental Health. We also look at the completion of the Kings Lynn project, successful progress project progress by the RCE team and preparing for Winter.

Wishing you all a safe and successful month.

Louis Nel