How do you handle a major road safety incident with precision and expertise?

On November 24th 2024 at 7 AM, an extremely serious health and safety incident occurred in Yeovil, involving one of FTL’s drivers operating a fully laden tanker carrying 38,000 litres of petrol and diesel. While driving in difficult wet and windy conditions on the way into the town to make his delivery, the driver was confronted with an oncoming vehicle travelling on the wrong side of the road. The driver took immediate and proactive action to steer the tanker to the right in order to avoid a certain collision, but another vehicle appeared on that side, forcing him to steer right again. As a result, the tanker went off the road and overturned, ending up on its side.

This incident could have been catastrophic, but thanks to both the expertise and skill of our driver in the first instance, followed by the rapid and expert response from the joint FTL/Oxalis Logistics control centre and the collaborative efforts with emergency services, we were able to manage the situation effectively and minimise potential risks.

Rapid response and expert management

Once the incident was reported to our FTL/Oxalis Logistics control centre in Huddersfield, our incident controller instigated our full Emergency Response process. This commenced with immediately liaising with the authorities, police, fire, and ambulance to manage the situation remotely whilst deploying our in-field team, which included our Incident Controller and Engineering and SHEQ teams. A full road closure was required and the necessary steps were taken to ensure the safety of the driver, third parties, the loaded vehicle and the environment. Within the hour our full Emergency Response team arrived at the scene, ensuring everyone was safe and receiving medical treatment where necessary. The team then began the process of recovering the vehicle and its load.

Despite the many hazards posed by the tanker’s load of petrol, our well-practised and detailed processes kicked in without delay. The FTL/Oxalis Logistics incident control process started with our Engineering team establishing the requirements at the scene and quickly agreeing on how to right the vehicle whilst protecting the load on board from spillage or explosion. We promptly coordinated with Adler and Allan, a specialist environmental risk reduction company, to safely transfer the product from the tanker into another vehicle, minimising environmental impact and securing the site. Adler & Allan commended FTL/Oxalis Logistics as the only company in the UK that could’ve handled such a difficult incident. The teams were working in atrocious conditions, in a high-pressure environment, however, their expertise recovered both the vehicle and the entire load on board without spillage or loss. The FTL teams remained on site until the incident was clear. 

As our Contract Manager, Mark, explains: “We were able to act quickly, thanks to the well-established processes we have in place. Our team managed the situation efficiently and professionally, and we received praise from the emergency services for our coordinated efforts.”

Training, expertise, and community responsibility

This successful outcome highlights the importance of FTL’s commitment to driver training and Oxalis Logistics Group’s emergency response planning expertise. FTL’s drivers are trained to react swiftly and effectively in high-pressure situations, and the quick actions taken by the driver in this instance likely prevented a tragedy.

As Mark further explains, “The driver’s quick thinking and experience likely saved lives. We train our drivers extensively to ensure they’re prepared for situations like this and it paid off in this case.”

In addition to driver training, FTL has developed an incident control process integrating technical expertise and operational efficiency. Often, emergency services rely on the guidance of large, experienced companies like ours to navigate the hazards associated with fuel transport. In this case, we provided valuable advice and ensured the situation was handled safely and professionally. Our incident controllers were instrumental in liaising with the emergency services and offering expert support throughout the entire operation.