Ilford, Essex -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/22/2016 -- Traffic Marshall, a leading Health and Safety (H&S) course provider to the construction industry in London, has announced record numbers of attendees on its certified, one-day Banksman (traffic marshal) training courses.

More than 5,000 workplace accidents a year are reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 ("RIDDOR") – with the most serious involving motor vehicles which cause 50 deaths on average.

According to workplace regulator the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), seven fatalities (or 14 per cent of the annual total) involve vehicles or mobile plant on construction sites.

Banksman & banksman training

Banksmen (or traffic marshals) are operatives who are responsible for directing the safe movement of motor vehicles and plant on building sites. Their deployment is regulated by the HSE which requires employers to ensure that only authorized and properly trained and certificated personnel are used.

Banksman training involves two components:

(a) An introduction to standardised hand-signals used across Europe to communicate with drivers of vehicles and mobile plant operators; and

(b) Consideration of HSE's HSG136 standard document, "Workplace Transport Safety: An Employers' Guide" which outlines best practice in several areas including more complex driving manoeuvres involving articulated and drawbar vehicles.

Course participants are required to demonstrate a thorough understanding of both areas.

Banksman training with Traffic Marshall: a unique approach

Designed for maximum flexibility, Traffic Marshall's Banksman training courses are offered at the company's dedicated training facilities or on-site (a frequent requirement when certification of multiple members of a construction team is required in order to accommodate the safety needs of a construction site with severely restricted vehicle or mobile plant access).

Uniquely, attendees are issued with a Traffic Marshall / Banksman card as well as a certificate of attendance on completion of their course – which provides employers and site operators with an easy means of identifying operatives who are qualified to direct vehicles on-site.

Another unique aspect of Traffic Marshall Banksman courses is their emphasis on customer service which, Director Altaf explains, arose out of the realisation that Banksmen are frequently the first point of contact visitors have with site operators and contractors:

"During the many years we have been offering Banksman training courses, we have been helping employers to understand that Banksmen can be important brand champions, who can contribute immeasurably to creating the right first impression of any company".

All Traffic Marshall Banksman training courses are accredited by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Additional information on these and other courses offered by the company (including construction site safety, safe materials handling and first aider courses) visit the website.

About Traffic Marshal
Traffic Marshal is a leading of Banksman (Traffic Marshal) training in London and is actively engaged in promoting safer employment practices within the construction industry. The company's mission is to become the leading provider of Banksman (Traffic Marshal) and related training within London and the M25 Corridor.

To demonstrate its commitment to quality, Traffic Master continually benchmarks its training provision against pre-defined industry standards for Banksman (Traffic Marshal) training delivery.

A programme of improvement integrates feedback received from valued clients within the Construction, Security and Events industries into training course improvement and development.