By Nicola O'Neill from CommunityBuyer.org
Published on 15 May 2008
It is estimated that up to a third of all road traffic accidents involve someone who is at work at the time. As employers you need to consider what steps you should take to ensure your employees use the road as safely as possible.
The same considerations apply to people who drive occasionally or for short distances as those whose main job is driving. Commuting is not deemed to be driving at work, unless the employee is travelling to a location which is not their usual place of work.
Legal Responsibilities
In addition to your duties as an employer under road traffic law, the Health and Safety at Work (NI) order 1978, requires you to ensure as far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of your employees while they are at work. You also have responsibility to ensure others are not put at risk by your work related driving activities.
In order to comply with the legal provision of the health and safety legislation, you need to carry out an assessment of the risks to the health and safety of your employees, while they are at work, and to include other people who may be affected by their work activities. You should consult with your employees and their health and safety representatives in conducting the risk assessment.
Managing work related road safety
Road related safety should be an integral part of your health and management system, and should be addressed in your organisations’ health and safety policy with clear commitment from the organisation and an adequate system for managing road safety. This should include clear guidance on issues such as use of mobile phones when driving, driving whilst on prescription medication and what to do in the event of an accident.
Risk Assessment
A risk assessment is essentially a careful examination of the activities to be undertaken to allow you to evaluate your current working practices. This may include the following steps:
- Step 1 Look for Hazards that could result in harm when driving on public roads, eg road works, lack of knowledge of area.
- Step 2 Consider who might be harmed, ie the driver, passengers, and other road users
- Step 3 Evaluate the risk and decide if existing precautions are adequate.
Consider: How can we avoid putting people under pressure when they are driving?
Elements of work related health and safety
The following offers some suggestions on areas you might want to consider in evaluating work related road safety. It is not an exhaustive list, and you should think about your specific organisation and the activities you undertake.
The Driver
Previous driving experience
Driver license checks
Awareness of organisational policy on work related driving
Provision of awareness training
Actions in the event of a breakdown
Fatigue awareness
Health of drivers, use of medication
Insurance deals
Make sure that your organisation has adequate insurance coverage for all your needs. Communitybuyer.org features insurers who offer competitive, specially negotiated rates to the sector. You may end up saving money, so do check them out.
The Vehicle
Road worthiness
Regular maintenance and vehicle checks
Safety equipment working
Tyre pressure, windscreen wipers
Seat positioning
The Journey
Route planning
Work scheduling
Traffic alerts
Realistic time allowance
Avoid unnecessary pressure
Distance
Weather conditions
This page has been viewed 1291 times since it was published.
