Exceptional safety culture wins Palletline 11th ROSPA Gold Award

Originally published by Motor Transport, Monday, 15 September 2025.

Palletline has earned the prestigious Gold Award from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) for the eleventh time, after demonstrating a stringent workplace culture encompassing every aspect of health and safety and the physical and mental wellbeing of every member of staff.

The accolade recognises the palletised freight distribution network’s consistent efforts to ensure that its health and safety culture is ingrained at every level of the operation – not just across its network of hubs, offices and warehouses but across its 96 members.

Announcing the award, Palletline said safety is not just a policy at the network but is embedded in its DNA, shaping every aspect of its operation, with the network boasting the lowest accident rates in the industry.

The RoSPA national accreditation is given to businesses and organisations which have implemented world-leading health and safety policies, with rigorous management systems, outstanding control of risk in the workplace and very low levels of error, harm or loss.

Palletline has to meet an exacting set of criteria each time to win the award. Workforce buy-in at every level of the operation is measured alongside the company’s accident record and its health and safety management systems.

Graham Leitch, Palletline chief executive, said:

“This award is a real testament to every member of the Palletline team.

“By the very nature of our industry where challenges can arise at any given moment every day continues to be a learning curve.

“As such we will continue to strive for the highest levels of safety in everything we do as we seek to build on the standards that have already earned us the reputation as the UK pallet network’s industry leader in health and safety innovation.”

Palletline, which was launched in 1992, is a 78-strong member-owned network, made up of a 12,000-strong workforce. It operates a daily fleet exceeding 6,000 vehicles across 96 strategically-located depots, handling more than four million pallets of freight each year.

Over the years the company has introduced a series of industry firsts, including being the first network to introduce a 750kg weight limit on unassisted tail deliveries, which have since been adopted by other networks and operators across the wider transport industry.

Innovations such as drive-through warehouses, pedestrianised operations, one way traffic systems and 10 mph speed limits and more recently the prevention of forklifts from lifting loads exceeding 400kg above 1.2m, mitigating double deck trailer loading risks, have all contributed to Palletline’s exemplary safety record.

Its revolutionary Palleteyes system is among the network’s latest game changers. The first forklift-mounted CCTV and scanning system enhances operational efficiency while significantly reducing risks.