Road safety
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Employers are legally responsible for the safety of their employees - and that includes time spent driving for work-related reasons. To reduce risk, it pays to draw up an occupational driving policy. Afsheen Latif gets behind the wheel
"One-third of road deaths each year in the UK are linked to work," reveals Tony Moore, facilities manager at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health.
"Beside the human cost, there's a massive impact on business productivity. Having an occupational driving policy can help to reduce the risk of accidents and cost to your business," he argues. If an accident occurs, costs, of course, are likely to include vehicle repair or replacement, increased insurance and legal fees, not to mention disruption to your operation by having an employee and vehicle out of commission. Your driving policy should cover any work-related driving. However, you are not responsible for staff driving between home and place of work. Risk assessment "Before writing your policy, carry out a risk assessment of your firm's work-related driving activities," advises Moore. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, if you have more than five employees you must carry out a risk assessment, review it periodically and record your findings. In the event of an investigation into a work-related accident, you may be asked to show you have completed such an assessment. "Assess which road journeys are necessary to your business," says Moore. "If you're a business that relies on road travel, use less hazardous routes, give more challenging jobs to more experienced drivers and provide training where required," he adds. Writing your policy "Your driving policy must comply with the law," says Jools Townsend, head of education at road-safety charity Brake. "It should prohibit driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, talking on a mobile phone while driving and exceeding speed limits. "You should also advise employees to take 15-minute breaks every two hours to avoid fatigue," she adds. Ensure your policy is communicated effectively to all employees, and that they understand why the rules are so important. People who work for your business need to know they should always put safety first. "Getting managers to abide by your policy will also help to promote a safe driving culture within your business," argues Townsend. Best-practice policies can go further than legal requirements. "For safety reasons, many businesses are now banning the use of hands-free mobile phones while driving, even though they are legal," she adds. Reporting accidents Make staff aware of what they need to do if they are involved in an incident. "Your driving policy should require all employees to report to you all work-related road incidents - even bumps, scrapes and near-misses," says Townsend. "Minor incidents can indicate underlying problems that may lead to a more serious crash," she explains. Make sure a copy of your driving policy is always available to employees, together with The Highway Code. In addition, check employees have the necessary driving qualifications, are legally permitted to drive and that vehicles used for business purposes are legal.
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