Anthony Hilton: No more fatalities is the goal in Wayne's world
There is just room for a mention of Wayne Sheppard, the managing director of the brick maker Ibstock, whom I just met for the first time at an event down in Spain.
For years the building trade has been cursed by fork lift trucks backing into people and killing them.
But almost alone in the industry Mr Sheppard found this totally unacceptable and has spent the last few years persuading, cajoling and eventually bullying the fork lift truck manufacturers to make safer vehicles.
Now finally – albeit only after he threatened to cancel all new orders – he has got one to fit sensors which automatically slow the reversing vehicle to a crawl when they detect something behind it.
But having got this far he is not going to stop. His next step is to persuade every other firm in the industry – friend and foe alike – to demand these modified vehicles, even though they cost a bit more. His goal, simply put, is no more fatalities.
Let's salute a thoroughly decent man making a real difference.
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