Junctions 'unsafe' for newspaper distribution

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and gardaí have asked publishers of free and evening newspapers to stop distributing at traffic junctions in Dublin.

Some 50,000 free newspapers and an unspecified number of evening newspapers had been distributed in this way each day. However, following complaints from hauliers last year, the HSA and gardaí met with the publishers of the Metro, Herald AMand Evening Heraldand asked them to stop.

The HSA is concerned about the safety of the staff distributing the papers at these points, while gardaí are also concerned at the negative impact the practice has on traffic flow.

The issue came to light when a number of hauliers complained to the HSA that the newspaper distributors were frequently in a lorry's "blind spot" at junctions and the drivers were concerned about a possible collision.

Once the preserve of the evening newspapers, the practice has spread in recent years following the arrival of the free newspapers Metroand Herald AM.

Up to 50,000 of these papers were distributed each morning at traffic junctions, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulation. The HSA had previously advised publishers that the practice was acceptable in stationary traffic. However, after a review and bearing in mind the added danger of a collision between motorcyclists and cyclists with the distributors, the HSA served a number of prohibition notices.

Following discussions with the HSA, the publishers of Metro, which is part-owned by The Irish Times Ltd, ceased the practice last November. Lee Thompson, managing director of Fortune Green Ltd, trading as Metro, said the decision was taken following a meeting with the HSA and gardaí.

Thompson said up to 20,000 copies of Metrohad been distributed daily at traffic junctions but that this had ceased in November and distribution shifted to different locations.

"We also engaged safety consultants to look at this issue. They identified a number of safe working points - junctions where there is a traffic island or a footpath where the distributor never has to step on to the road."

Metro has recently resumed distribution at one such junction and plans to extend this to around eight, although the number of copies distributed this way will be "significantly reduced", he said.

Talks are ongoing with the publishers and distributors of Herald AM, according to the HSA spokesman.

A spokesman for Independent News and Media, the publisher of Herald AMsaid last night: "Health and safety is of paramount importance to Herald AM. Following an audit of all distribution sites by an independent safety expert, all distributors have received appropriate health and safety training based on that assessment. The training is available in a number of different languages."

Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) spokesman Jimmy Quinn said it was inevitable that this issue would be brought to the attention of the authorities.

"It is an accident waiting to happen. I am not aware of any specific incidents, but there is no point waiting until someone is hurt or killed before acting on it."