Your Health & Safety Responsibilities

The Health & Safety at Work Act states that employers have a responsibility to ensure the safety of their employees who drive at work and to ensure others are not put at risk by their work-related driving activities. The new Corporate Manslaughter bill working its way through Parliament makes companies and employers responsible in law for the driving behaviour of their employees. Custodial sentences will be handed out to those found guilty of not actively improving the driving of their employees, particularly those they know that are at risk of further crashes through poor driving habits.

What you must do & why:

It has been estimated that up to a third of all traffic accidents involve somebody who is at work at the time. This may occur for over 10 fatalities and 250 serious injuries every week. Some fleet driver employers believe, incorrectly, that provided they comply with certain road traffic law requirements, eg. company vehicles have a valid MOT certificate, and that drivers hold a valid licence, this is enough to ensure the safety of their employees, and others, when they are on the road. That is not enough. You must ensure that a full risk assessment, to a full and proper driver training programme is carried our with your team.

Risk Management:

However, health and safety law applies to on-the-road work activities as to all work activities, and the risks should be effectively managed within a health and safety management system. A fleet driver training programme for fleet drivers should be carried out with all those drivers considered at risk. This guidance applies to any employer, manager or supervisor with staff who drive a car, or ride a motorcycle or any vehcle or bike at work, and particularly those with responsibility for Fleet Managment. It also applies to self-employed people. It covers people whose main job is driving, and those who drive or ride occasionally or for short distances.

Your Responsibilities:

You have a responsibility to assess the risks of your employees driving at work activities. You have the responsibility to ensure your drivers are properly trained to carry out their job and drive safely. You are also required to periodically revise that risk.

To carry out any of these area you need to examine the benefits in a fleet driver training programme for your employees, whether they drive cars or large commercial vehicles.

SOME SCARY FACTS:

* 3500 people killed on the roads in the UK p.a.
* 40,000 seriously injured p.a
* 300,000 road casualties p.a

* 1/3 of all crashes are rear-end shunts
* 1/4 of all crashes are because drivers cut across another priority
* 1/6 of all crashes are as a result of losing directional control

Will you avoid all of these ?

Are you sure that the fleet drivers and company drivers employed by your company are not putting other road users at risk? Have you carried out an appropriate risk assessment of each driver and planned the correct driver training programme?