The transport and logistics sector, amongst other high risk sectors, is under mounting pressure from regulators, and the costs of non-compliance are rising fast.
Senior leaders must demonstrate active, dynamic safety management across vehicle fleets, depots, yards and warehouses.
This article outlines the specific risks faced by the industry, key legal obligations, recent HSE cases, and how digital safety management systems like AssessNET are helping leading logistics organisations reduce risk, stay compliant and safeguard their people.
Key legal duties across fleet, depot and warehouse operations
UK law places clear legal responsibilities on organisations involved in transport, distribution, warehousing and fleet operations. Here is a reminder of some of these key duties:
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 – You must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of employees and others affected by your operations.
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 – Requires suitable and sufficient risk assessments, implementation of preventive controls, and ongoing review.
- Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) – Covers safe use, inspection and maintenance of workplace vehicles and equipment.
- Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) – Requires reporting of incidents including transport-related injuries.
- HSE Workplace Transport Guidance – States employers must assess and manage risks where vehicles operate, particularly around reversing, loading, and pedestrian segregation.
Common areas of legal exposure:
- Unsafe reversing procedures
- Poorly segregated pedestrian/vehicle areas
- Inadequate contractor management on site
- Unrecorded risk assessments or outdated control measures
- Untracked training and expired staff certifications
- Inconsistent permit-to-work systems for high-risk tasks
When safety systems fail: HSE prosecutions to learn from
Case A: Fatal reversing incident – £2.2m fine
Two logistics companies were fined a combined £2.2 million after a 60-year-old man was fatally struck by a reversing HGV at a depot. HSE found:
- No clear segregation between pedestrians and vehicles
- Poor reversing controls and site layout
- Inadequate risk assessment and lack of safe system of work
Where digitals safety tools could have helped:
- Risk Assessment system: Formal review and regular updates of reversing procedures
- Permit-to-Work: Enforce control during high-risk vehicle movements
- Training Management: Ensure staff receive and renew safety training
- Incident Management: Spot trends in near-misses before incidents occur
Case B: Reversing HGV kills grandfather – £240,000 fine
A manufacturing company sharing a logistics estate failed to control vehicle access and reverse movements. HSE noted:
- No reversing aids or signage
- Inadequate traffic management planning
- Risk assessments not reviewed after operational change
This reflects a growing expectation of real-time visibility, live tracking, and proactive safety culture , not paper-based, reactive compliance.
Why safety expectations are rising across the sector
Several trends are increasing scrutiny in this sector:
- E-commerce growth: More operational demand, more goods, more vehicle movement
- Multi-site operations: Greater complexity and oversight difficulty
- High-profile fatalities: Public scrutiny and reputational damage
- Regulatory expectations: Boards are expected to monitor safety performance digitally
Where digital safety management makes the biggest impact
AssessNET empowers transport and logistics organisations to drive safety, compliance,and increase efficiency by simplifying health and safety management across fleets, depots, and warehouses — all through one cloud-based, mobile-friendly platform.
AssessNET modules relevant to Transport & Logistics:
- Risk Assessment: Digitally manage risk assessments, control reviews, and versioning across all sites and operations
- Accident & Incident Management: Capture, analyse and respond to incidents or near-misses in real-time
- Contractor Management: Vet and monitor third-party workers, ensuring compliance and proper documentation
- Permit to Work: Digitally issue, approve, and track permits for high-risk tasks
- Training Management: Maintain an auditable log of qualifications, refresher training, and site-specific inductions
And many more!
Why senior leaders in HSE need to act now
Senior professionals play a key role in safety governance. But traditional paper-based systems and siloed data make it harder to:
- Prove and maintain consistent compliance across multiple sites
- React swiftly to incidents
- Manage third-party risk
- Maintain training and competence records
- Identify trends before serious incidents occur
AssessNET centralises all of this, providing a single source of truth, visible to directors, depot managers, and frontline staff alike.
Ready to reduce risk and simplify safety management?
Don’t wait for an HSE visit or tragic incident to review your safety processes
Book a free 30-minute demo of AssessNET today.
