Promoting helmet wearing when cycling to work

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Graham
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Promoting helmet wearing when cycling to work

Post by Graham »

HR Department wrote:Hello,
I am lookin as HR to promote helmet safety to staff in the
workplace.

I am looking for materials that might help us promote helmet safety in a
passive way i.e through posters.

We are based in the centre of london meaning we have a number of cyclist
that commute by bicycle to work, we have underground bike storage that
means we promote the use of this type of transport but also have a duty of
care.

Could you please let me know if you have any such material/resources that
could help me.

Thanks
G


Graham wrote:Hello G,

As I understand your email your HR department ( you ) are trying to promote cycle helmet use among your staff who cycle to work.

My first question is :-
Why is your company trying to encourage cycling staff to wear a cycle helmet when cycling to work ?

Your answer may be that it is "common sense to take whatever extra safety measures we can encourage them to take."

I think you need to have a look at the following website which attempts to give a balanced view :-
http://www.cyclehelmets.org/0.html

I would encourage you to talk to some of your cycling staff about this - a sample of helmet wearers & non-helmet wearers - before proceeding.
I'm fairly sure that your company has no duty of care by way of trying to affect their transport decisions when travelling to and from work.

All the above is the personal view of one Moderator on the Cycling UK FORUM.

Cycling UK itself has the following position :-
https://www.cyclinguk.org/campaign/cycl ... s-evidence

You are most welcome to register and post on the FORUM itself to solicit the views of many other experienced cyclists.

I think I had better stop there. :)

Best Wishes
Graham
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Graham
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Re: Promoting helmet wearing when cycling to work

Post by Graham »

Oh well . . . . . [ my bold below ] . . . . .

Good afternoon Graham,

Thank you for your response, it was interesting to see it from another point of view.

However, we do owe our staff a duty of care both in the place of work and on their journey to and from the office, especially when we facilitate the use of bicycles with facilities by providing bicycle storage.

We are looking into different ways to raise awareness of some dangers that are issues in London; be it traffic awareness or helmet use (added protection to your head could never be seen as a bad thing).

Thank you for getting back in touch, I appreciate your input.

Regards
Gabriel
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Re: Promoting helmet wearing when cycling to work

Post by mjr »

Well, I agree that helmet use is a danger of cycling in London ;)

That added protection is very limited but comes with many costs and not only financial ones.
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gaz
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Re: Promoting helmet wearing when cycling to work

Post by gaz »

helmet use (added protection to your head could never be seen as a bad thing).

Will Gabriel will be promoting helmets for those who commute by car, foot and public transport too?
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Re: Promoting helmet wearing when cycling to work

Post by Vorpal »

I'd have included something in my first reply to the affect of...

While helmet wearing can be beneficial in some types of accidents, there is no evidence that they improve safety, and some evidence that cyclists who wear helmets have more road traffic crashes.
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Re: Promoting helmet wearing when cycling to work

Post by gaz »

However, we do owe our staff a duty of care both in the place of work and on their journey to and from the office, especially when we facilitate the use of bicycles with facilities by providing bicycle storage.

Perhaps Gabriel could wonder how TfL succesfully fulfil their duty of care while facilitating the use of bicycles by supplying not just cycle storage but actual hire bicycles whilst not supplying polystyrene hats.
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RickH
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Re: Promoting helmet wearing when cycling to work

Post by RickH »

gaz wrote:
helmet use (added protection to your head could never be seen as a bad thing).

Will Gabriel will be promoting helmets for those who commute by car, foot and public transport too?

After all I think the figures are around 40% of road head injuries are to car occupants & 30% are to pedestrians. Concentrating on getting those groups routinely having "added protection to [their] head" would be much more beneficial! :D

That's without shower-helmets, using-the-stairs-helmets....
Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
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Re: Promoting helmet wearing when cycling to work

Post by Cunobelin »

However, we do owe our staff a duty of care both in the place of work and on their journey to and from the office, especially when we facilitate the use of cars with facilities by providing car parks.


Given that there are legal requirements for cars, will that include ensuring all cars are in compliance (VED, Insurance, MOT, roadworthiness etc) also given the prevalence of drink driving at this time of year, speeding and other forms of dangerous driving, what will their disciplinary policy be for any of their offences.
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Graham
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Re: Promoting helmet wearing when cycling to work

Post by Graham »

Vorpal wrote:I'd have included something in my first reply to the affect of...

While helmet wearing can be beneficial in some types of accidents, there is no evidence that they improve safety, and some evidence that cyclists who wear helmets have more road traffic crashes.

Thanks. I know I need to improve my PR skills.

A simple summary that doesn't get bogged down in detail. . . . . . . .

My previous recent episode was when my lady barber asked me why I did not wear a plastic hat.
I tried to explain, but her daughter worked in a London hospital and knew that any cyclist not wearing a plastic hat was being foolish.

I left the barber with a pretty bad haircut.

I later found out that the daughter was not A&E staff, which is what I had immediately assumed. She was a paediatrician.

I need to find a new barber.
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Re: Promoting helmet wearing when cycling to work

Post by meic »

First case that I have heard of where not wearing a helmet ruined somebody's hairstyle. :lol:
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Re: Promoting helmet wearing when cycling to work

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Graham wrote:
Vorpal wrote:I'd have included something in my first reply to the affect of...

While helmet wearing can be beneficial in some types of accidents, there is no evidence that they improve safety, and some evidence that cyclists who wear helmets have more road traffic crashes.

Thanks. I know I need to improve my PR skills.

A simple summary that doesn't get bogged down in detail. . . . . . . .

My previous recent episode was when my lady barber asked me why I did not wear a plastic hat.
I tried to explain, but her daughter worked in a London hospital and knew that any cyclist not wearing a plastic hat was being foolish.

I left the barber with a pretty bad haircut.

I later found out that the daughter was not A&E staff, which is what I had immediately assumed. She was a paediatrician.

I need to find a new barber.


No need to spend money, you can cut your own hair

BTW, in cases like this I try to pretend I do not know much, try to ask simple open questions to find out what people think

Trouble is, many of us think far too much and many other people think too little
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Re: Promoting helmet wearing when cycling to work

Post by mjr »

Graham wrote:Thanks. I know I need to improve my PR skills.

A simple summary that doesn't get bogged down in detail. . . . . . . .

It's almost a shame that there isn't some sort of national charity writing sample answers to common questions about cycling... https://www.cyclinguk.org/commoncyclingquestions

Although to be fair, the helmet answer is a bit long and not forceful enough for my taste. But then I'm blunt.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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Re: Promoting helmet wearing when cycling to work

Post by Stevek76 »

Graham wrote:Oh well . . . . . [ my bold below ] . . . . .

Good afternoon Graham,

Thank you for your response, it was interesting to see it from another point of view.

However, we do owe our staff a duty of care both in the place of work and on their journey to and from the office, especially when we facilitate the use of bicycles with facilities by providing bicycle storage.

We are looking into different ways to raise awareness of some dangers that are issues in London; be it traffic awareness or helmet use (added protection to your head could never be seen as a bad thing).

Thank you for getting back in touch, I appreciate your input.

Regards
Gabriel


Could you ask if gabriel wears, and will be promoting wearing of, helmets while travelling in cars etc? Presumably they also facilitate other methods of travel to work (and potentially on work time) in various manners. :roll:
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Re: Promoting helmet wearing when cycling to work

Post by irc »

Stevek76 wrote:
Graham wrote:Oh well . . . . . [ my bold below ] . . . . .

Good afternoon Graham,

Thank you for your response, it was interesting to see it from another point of view.

However, we do owe our staff a duty of care both in the place of work and on their journey to and from the office, especially when we facilitate the use of bicycles with facilities by providing bicycle storage.

We are looking into different ways to raise awareness of some dangers that are issues in London; be it traffic awareness or helmet use (added protection to your head could never be seen as a bad thing).

Thank you for getting back in touch, I appreciate your input.

Regards
Gabriel


Could you ask if gabriel wears, and will be promoting wearing of, helmets while travelling in cars etc? Presumably they also facilitate other methods of travel to work (and potentially on work time) in various manners. :roll:


Surely the correct answer is for employers to insist staff travel by train as it is far safer than car travel. Or is it just cyclists getting picked on?

Or as the helmet nannying is justified by the provision of cycle parking then if there is a staff car park will they ban cars without top safety rating?
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Re: Promoting helmet wearing when cycling to work

Post by Stevek76 »

Enforced working from home obviously. :roll:
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