Here's what the Blue Lamp Trust had to say:
The Blue Lamp Trust Conference: Friday 25th November 2011
The Blue Lamp Trust’s First Annual Conference entitled “Corporate Manslaughter: Don’t Put Yourself in the Dock” brought Road Safety Week to a dramatic conclusion as businesses from across the region were able to see a live demonstration of the extrication of a passenger, hit by a business driver who had fallen asleep at the wheel, consequently losing his life. The demo took place at Hampshire Fire and Rescue’s new location in Winchester where the country’s first dedicated Road Safety Unit has been established to focus on the increasing problem of death on roads.
The Blue Lamp Trust was launched in September 2010 and was initiated by Chief Constable, Alex Marshall and the then High Sheriff, Alan Lovell who remains as Chair, in order to tackle the needs of vulnerable people in the community suffering as a consequence of either burglary or domestic abuse. They do this following a Police referral, by fitting locks and other security devices via the Bobby Scheme which became subsumed within The Blue Lamp Trust at its inception. The charity also focuses on creating safer roads through driver education for both businesses and the general public and incorporates other partners such as Hampshire Police Authority who provided core funding and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS).
Chief Fire Officer John Bonney welcomed delegates to the Fire Station and talked about how most of their work is now focused on road traffic accidents as opposed to fire in the homes. Delegates saw the stark realities of the consequences of an employee losing their life on the road in the course of their work, with the employer successfully prosecuted for a number of breaches under both the Corporate Manslaughter and Health and Safety at Work Acts. As part of the dramatic scenario, Peter Taylor, Head of Dispute Resolution at Paris Smith, donned a wig to play the part of the judge with Sarah Wheadon, Associate with Paris Smith, playing the part of the prosecutor.
Peter Lowe, Regional Sales & Marketing Director of Car Call UK and the conference sponsor said “I attended a course and my driving has changed. I used to drive in the fast land and now I realise that I can’t do anything about other people’s driving but I can do something about mine. My driving habits have changed completely and I’ve gained a better insight into risks on the road as well as in the car.”
Katy Roberts, Project and Marketing Manager for JobServe Events said “I just wanted to let you know how much I thoroughly enjoyed Friday’s conference in Winchester. What a fantastic opportunity to meet with like-minded business people, but more so, what a brilliant opportunity it was for me to learn SO much more about what we, as a business, should be aware of, and need to be doing. I thoroughly enjoyed both sessions presented by the Blue Lamp Trust, and I’ll be discussing this in more detail with colleagues – but I wanted to let you know that I thought the event was REALLY well organised, ran beautifully smoothly, and most of all – that everybody involved had an infectious enthusiasm for what they did.”
Randal Brown, Service Manager for Shield Security Services Ltd said “A note to thank you VERY much for having me at your conference at the fabulous new Hampshire Fire & Rescue station in Winchester. I really enjoyed my time there. The event was well-run, interesting, and informative. The mock "rescues" and "court session" were superb and brought the message home in a practical way.”
For more information about what the Blue Lamp Trust do, please visit their website.
