REVERSING SAFETY AUDIT
This reversing safety audit falls into four areas: operational analysis and statistics, site
procedures and operations, vehicles and people. For each question tick yes or no. When
Operational analysis and statistics
YES NO
1 Do you know your total number of vehicle accidents and % of accidents
2 Do you know the total number of reversing accidents at each of the
following locations; collection and delivery points, your own company sites,
and on the road?
3 Have you undertaken detailed data analysis on previous reversing
accidents to identify causes?
4 Do you know the average cost of your reversing accidents?
5 Do you track the tend of reversing accidents by the categories shown in 1-
6 Have you identified all reversing distances?
7 Have you reduced the need for reversing wherever possible?
8 Have you minimised reversing distances?
9 Have you done reversing black spot analysis and risk assessments?
Site procedures and operations
YES NO
10 Have you undertaken reversing safety audits at delivery/collection points?
11 Have you made delivery/collection points aware of the results of your
audit?
12 Do you regularly consult employees (e.g. drivers/banksmen) in the
process of developing the layout of new sites?
13 Do you have a mechanism to allow drivers, banksmen and others to make
suggestions for improvements to existing sites?
14 Have you implemented safe reversing procedures?
15 Do you have a reversing checklist and procedures for new sites?
16 Do your sites clearly identify reversing areas?
17 Have you assessed the quality of your site lighting, visibility and mirrors?
18 Do you regularly improve yard and road layouts?
19 Do you regularly review the safety of yard `furniture` (e.g. posts and
20 Do you have one-way traffic light systems?
21 Have you installed traffic light systems?
22 Have you implemented time bans to separate people and vehicles?
Vehicles
YES NO
23 Have you fitted/specified reversing bleepers/alarms?
24 Have you fitted/specified reversing detection devices?
25 Have you fitted/specified reversing cameras?
26 Have you fitted/specified flashing reversing lights?
27 Have you fitted/specified auto reversing brakes/bumpers?
28 Have you fitted/specified improved rear-view vehicle mirrors?
29 Have you fitted/specified any other reversing safety systems?
People
YES NO
30 Have you identified all people likely to be affected by reversing?
31 Do all your staff involved with reversing vehicles receive a copy of the
HSE’s `Reversing Vehicles` publication 11/98 IND, 1995
32 Are all drivers and banksmen properly assessed, trained and regularly
reassessed (e.g. seminars, video, data analysis feedback, poster
campaigns, CD-ROM)?
33 Do you exclude people from reversing areas wherever possible?
34 Is a simple, agreed and clearly visible system of signalling and
communication in place?
35 Do you regularly audit the management/supervision of reversing areas?
36 Do you issue fluorescent clothing to all relevant staff?
37 Before reversing, do your drivers always check their mirrors are clean and
correctly aligned and the reversing area is free of pedestrians?
38 Have you developed safe procedures/work instructions for all relevant
39 Do you provide drivers with simple, clear and unambiguous
40 Do visiting drivers and banksmen receive and sign for a set of written
reversing procedures on arrival at your site?
41 Do you employ specially trained people as yard shunters/banksmen?
42 Do your banksmen undertake regular risk assessments and feed the
results back to their managers and supervisors?
Most important of all
43 Are your drivers instructed to STOP if a banksman disappears from view?
44 Are your drivers instructed NEVER to reverse `blind` without assistance
(i.e. a banksman and/or detection aid and/or visual aid which covers the
`blind` area)?
Total (Out of 53 – first 9 points are most important so have double
weighting
Didn’t score full marks?
If you didn’t score full marks in the self-audit, use the questions to develop better procedures
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON REVERSING SAFETY, CONTACT
Fleet Electrical & Safety Direct 01373 823242
