Road contractors have been reminded about the importance of providing workers with adequate instructions, training and supervision before they begin working on open roads.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) warning follows an incident in August 2005 where an employee was knocked down and seriously injured while painting road lines in London.

"This unfortunate accident shows how important it is for road contractors to provide appropriate instructions, training and supervision to safeguard their workers," said HSE inspector Lisa Chappell. "Regardless of the duration of the work, roads are clearly hazardous places and workers must understand the measures they should take to protect themselves and warn other road users of their presence."

Source: Health and Safety Executive press release, September 2007 (VS)