According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), up to a third of all road traffic accidents involve somebody who is working at the time.

Some companies mistakenly believe that they only need to abide by road traffic law requirements in order to be compliant with the law on driving at work e.g. company vehicles need to have a valid MOT certificate, and drivers need to hold a valid licence.

Many companies don’t realise that standard health and safety law applies to on-the-road work activities in the same way as all other work activities, and the risks should be managed accordingly in the company health and safety policy.

If your company employs people who are required to drive for work for any reason (except commuting) from deliveries to simply driving between meetings, Peter Blanc, Oval’s regional managing director for the Eastern region, outlines below some things to consider:

Your company’s health and safety policy should include driving at work. Companies that employ five or more people are required to record their health and safety policy in writing, including procedures for driving at work.

The policy should cover vehicle maintenance, journey organisation, driver training and duties and responsibilities, including adhering to the Highway Code.

Companies should asses the risks taken by their drivers and take steps to limit these. Factors such as the weather, route planning (or lack thereof) and tiredness can affect how safely people drive. Some companies carry out their risk assessments in-house whilst others prefer to call in an independent expert.

Try to avoid situations where your employees feel under time pressure while driving, as this can lead to accidents. If, for example your company makes unrealistic claims about delivery schedules, this could encourage drivers to break the speed limit, or drive too quickly when road or weather conditions are bad to meet deadlines.

Continue to monitor your drivers’ health and safety performance. Try to collect enough information from staff to determine the effectiveness of the policies you have in place and encourage a culture where they feel they can report accidents without fear of punitive action.

Fleet management has changed substantially in recent years. It is becoming increasingly rare for a company to own its own fleet, with many companies choosing to hire or lease vehicles instead, or make use of a ‘grey fleet’ of cars owned by employees (where the company pays either a car allowance or reimburses expenses).

This can mean that it is more difficult to ensure fleet vehicles are maintained to a high standard. If your company encourages employees to use their own vehicles for work-related travel (not including commuting) they must be insured for business use, hold a valid MOT certificate and the vehicle must be properly maintained.

If your company does own its own fleet of vehicles, you must carry out maintenance in accordance with the manufacturers guidelines as an MOT only checks for basic defects and doesn’t guarantee the safety of a vehicle. 

Make sure that vehicles are equipped with the appropriate safety equipment i.e. seatbelts, airbags and helmets (in the case of motorbikes and scooters). Ensure all safety equipment is maintained in good working order.

Whether your company uses leased vehicles, vehicles owned by the company or vehicles belonging to employees, it is vital that drivers are trained on vehicle safety and able to spot potential problems.

Drivers should be clear on recommended tyre pressures, how to adjust the headlamp beam to compensate for load weight, how to adjust head restraints to compensate for the effects of whiplash, what they should do and who they should contact if their vehicle is unsafe, and safe driving postures. Encourage drivers to carry out simple safety checks on the vehicle before starting each journey

Company Directors must lead by example and demonstrate a visible commitment if their employees are to take health and safety seriously. For example, a company’s policy should state that employees mustn’t answer the phone whilst driving.

Directors shouldn’t reprimand employees for missing calls if they are unable to stop and take the call.
The key to good fleet management is to have clear policies in place and continue to monitor and improve them. However, no matter how good your company policies are, roads are a dangerous place and sometimes accidents do happen.

Good policies that are continuously monitored could reduce the risk of accidents. This is not only a good thing for your employees but can also reduce the number of claims you might make against your insurance.

Lastly, always ensure that all vehicles used for work related travel (excluding commuting) are insured for commercial use. A reputable insurance broker will be able to discuss this with you and advise you on any policies you ought to take out.

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By Peter Blanc  on   Jul 07,2008

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Keywords

Fleet    health and safety    transport   

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