Ford launches healthy eating plan for van drivers

Deirdre Sinnott of the Health & Safety Authority and Eddie Murphy, MD of Ford Ireland, with a sample of the healthy meal which is being promoted by Ford and Applegreen to fleet drivers.

Ford Ireland launched a 'Drive to Fitness' campaign today aimed at encouraging company car and van drivers to look after their health through better food choices and more regular exercise.

Ford commissioned research into the lifestyle of these drivers and the findings show that they have health issues that are mainly attributable to the sedentary and often stress-filled nature of their work. Three out of four respondents admitted to being overweight, roughly 18 percent more than in the adult population at large. Four out of ten drivers admitted to regularly eating lunch in their vehicles with a quarter of these eating take-away food from shops or garages

The vast bulk of respondents—94 percent—said their employers do not promote healthy eating programmes or provide any type of medical screening

Eddie Murphy, Chairman and Chief Executive of Ford Ireland, said the campaign tries to highlight simple steps that these drivers can take in order to redress the balance.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) and the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) have both also endorsed the campaign, which is being promoted through the Applegreen forecourts network.

AUDIO

Ford Ireland MD Eddie Murphy talks to Brian Byrne about why the carmaker is promoting healthy eating to fleet drivers.

Deirdre Sinnott, Senior Policy Director at the Health & Safety Authority talks about what employers can do to help their drivers eat more healthily.

Safety and compliance dominates Forum agenda

Safety and compliance in the freight industry needs to be the same across the north and south of Ireland.

This was the overwhelming consensus among participants of the All Island Freight Forum (AIFF) held this week and led by the Freight Transport Association (FTA).

The stark difference in compliance enforcement between the north and south was pointed out by Tom Wilson, FTA's Head of Policy for Northern Ireland who expressed the Forum's wish for a more level playing field.

"By expediting operator licensing in the north, we would really help improve the odds of seeing a similar degree of compliance in the south," he said. "This would effectively help drive out the rogue vehicle operators that are a menace on the island's roads."

Through the All Island Freight Forum, the logistics industry is posed to work with government agencies across the island of Ireland to investigate how to maximise resources to obtain the most efficient use of all freight transport modes.

Wilson concluded: "Having a joined-up approach to vehicle operator compliance between neighbours is vital if we are to see meaningful improvements on our roads.

"The Forum plans to develop a robust accreditation scheme for operators - something already warmly-received by the Road Safety Authority in the ROI - but we still have a mountain to climb to improve the reputation of our transport operators which currently languishes at the bottom of the EU league table on safety and compliance."