Because by the time something has happened, it is late. HSE's guide to managing health and safety
(HSG65) asks organisations to measure performance in ways "that go beyond looking at accident
figures – look for leading and lagging indicators. These are also called active and reactive
indicators."
Lagging (reactive) indicators count what has gone wrong: injuries, damage, near misses.
Leading (active) indicators check that the controls are in place and working before anyone
is hurt: walkways clear, barriers intact, drivers waiting in the safe area.
Our article on active and reactive monitoring explains
the idea in more depth. The monthly check is the simplest way to put it into practice for vehicles.
HSE's own workplace transport inspection checklist asks the same question in plain terms: "Check
what your drivers and other employees actually do when doing their work." And: "Do you take
adequate steps to detect and correct any unsafe behaviour of drivers of both on-site and visiting
vehicles, as well as pedestrians?"
What should a monthly check cover?
Keep it short enough that it actually happens. The free sheet below covers six areas:
Routes and segregation: walkways clear and used; barriers in place and undamaged; people
crossing at the marked crossings, not beside them; any new shortcuts.
Vehicle movements: reversing areas clear of people; one-way routes followed; speeds look
sensible for the area.
Loading bays: controls against drive-away in use (keys, chocks or lights); drivers in the
safe area during loading; dock edges protected.
Visiting drivers: reporting to the gate; site map and rules available; staying where they
are asked to.
Conditions: lighting working, especially after dark; surfaces sound; signs clean and visible.
Changes and people: anything new this month (layout, vehicles, contractors, shift pattern);
new or agency staff briefed; near misses recorded since last month.
This is a monthly check, not a full inspection. For a first, complete review of your site, or an
annual one, use HSE's own site inspection checklist for workplace transport,
which is far more detailed.
How do you do it well?
Pick a different time each month. Day shift one month, nights the next, then a shift change,
a peak delivery window, a weekend. The pedestrian segregation guide
explains why: problems hide at the times nobody is checking.
Watch, don't just inspect. Stand at a crossing or a dock for a few minutes. Paint and barriers
tell you what was designed. People tell you what actually happens.
Record what you saw. "Walkway by dock 4 blocked by empty pallets, 14:20, two people walked in
the vehicle lane" is a finding. "Yard OK" is a visit.
Ask one or two people. A driver, a picker, someone at the gate: "Where do you feel exposed?"
Close the loop. Every finding gets an action, an owner and a date, and next month's walk checks
it was done.
A check that never finds anything is usually being done at the wrong time.
What does a filled-in month look like?
Site: a distribution warehouse with a trailer yard. Month: October. Checked by: night
shift supervisor. When: Tuesday 21:40 to 22:05, night shift, after dark.
What was seen:
Routes: the walkway along the dock was clear, but three people walked across the yard from the
car park instead of using the crossing, because it is unlit at the far end. ✗
Vehicle movements: reversing area clear; the shunter used the one-way route. ✓
Loading bays: dock 6 lorry had keys in the cab during loading; the driver said nobody asked
for them. ✗
Visiting drivers: two drivers waiting in the drivers' room; one standing by his trailer at
dock 9. ✗
Conditions: one floodlight out over the crossing (the reason for the shortcut). ✗
Changes: four new agency pickers started this week; briefing done on day one. ✓
Near misses recorded since last month: 2 (both forklift and pedestrian, both at dock 9).
Actions:
Action
Who
By when
Done
Replace floodlight over the crossing
Maintenance
This week
Remind night dock team: keys to dock office before loading
Night supervisor
Next shift
Look at dock 9: why are drivers and pedestrians ending up there?
Site manager
2 weeks
Next month's check: day shift, 07:00 change-over
Day supervisor
November
Note how the findings connect: the dark crossing explains the shortcut, and the dock 9 near misses
point to a place worth a closer look.
Next steps
Use the free one-page check sheet (Word or PDF) above.
What is a leading indicator in workplace transport safety?
A measure that tells you whether your controls are working before anyone is hurt, such as whether
walkways are used, crossings respected, reversing areas kept clear, or near misses being reported.
HSE's guide HSG65 calls these active indicators, and asks organisations to look beyond accident
figures.
How often should workplace transport be inspected?
HSE does not set a fixed frequency. A short monthly check, rotated across shifts, is a practical
routine for most sites, with a fuller inspection using HSE's workplace transport checklist when you
start and then periodically, for example once a year, and extra checks after any change in layout, vehicles or working
pattern.
What is the difference between active and reactive monitoring?
Active monitoring checks that controls are in place and working before something goes wrong, for
example a planned site walk. Reactive monitoring learns from things that have gone wrong, such as
accidents, near misses and ill health. HSE's HSG65 asks for both.
Who should carry out the monthly check?
Someone who knows the site and can act on what they find, such as a supervisor or shift manager.
Rotating the person, as well as the time, helps: a fresh pair of eyes notices things that have
become normal.
What should we do with the results?
Turn every problem into an action with an owner and a date, check it at the next walk, and look at
the trend over several months. Recurring findings are a sign that the control itself needs
changing, and that the risk assessment may need a review.