|
Health
and Safety for company cars
The
following are facts
- 1
in 6 drivers will have an accident each year
- Drivers
have a 1 in 700 chance of dying in a road traffic accident. This could be one of your
colleagues.
- Every
road traffic accident involving someone working is now reported to the
Health and Safety Executive.
- Companies
can face UNLIMITED fines for failing to take road safety seriously.
- 80%
of businesses have taken no action about this issue.
You
may have read all the scaremongering reports before but find the
thought of carrying out a “risk assessment “ far to tedious to
consider. Most business owners may be forgiven for thinking this has
to be an expensive bureaucratic red herring.
At
Fleetdrive we specialise in helping small and medium fleets
typically up to 50 vehicles, we understand that this is not something
you can afford to take up too much time and resource with. There are
many suppliers out there trying to make a business out of this area as
it has become a bit of a buzz sector within the business vehicle
market.
At
Fleetdrive we like to take a practical approach and help you to make
the biggest improvements in safety with the minimum effort.
Our
simple 4 step plan will dramatically reduce the risks you expose your
employees and yourself to while driving at work.
Step One – Swot up on
the basics
The
first step we thoroughly recommend is to take the time to read the
excellent “Driving at Work” brochure prepared by the Department of
Transport. For a government publication this is a punchy informative
read.
What’s more if you start here you are not relying on the marketing
materials of companies with a vested interest in selling you
something! ( I guess that includes Fleetdrive – but we like to think
we are on your side too)
Step Two
– Review your company car and van policy
Assuming you have one, your car policy is the cornerstone of what you
tell your employees about vehicle care or driving and what you expect
of them. A review should ensure you include all the up to date
recommendations for health and safety checks. Fleetdrive can help
with expert advise from the RAC in this area.
You must also make sure you keep a signed copy for all staff stating
that they have read and understood it.
Step
Three - Driving license checks
The most basic check you must make is that people driving for you have
a valid license. If someone has an accident that it is their fault and
they have no license on your insurance YOU MAY WELL FOOT THE BILL FOR
ANY CLAIMS INCLUDING PERSONAL INJURY.
Taking copies from employees is not enough either. Licenses should be
checked directly with the DVLA. You can do this yourself for a small
fee once you have obtained a data disclaimer from the employee.
Alternatively Fleetdrive can offer you a comprehensive service
where you receive a report every 3 or 6 months ( tailored to your
requirements) showing the current status of all your employee licenses,
including number of points accumulated.
Step
four – Driver risk assessment
You ideally need to assess each and every driver to ensure you
understand what the risk of accident is. Check the “Driving at work”
booklet for an overview on this but the main areas to be assessed are:
-
The
Vehicle they drive
-
How much
driving and the nature of the driving they do
-
Their
knowledge of current road legislation
-
Awareness assessment
Sounds complicated doesn’t it? Luckily Fleetdrive can arrange for an RAC online risk assessment for drivers. This 20 minute online test
will give you a clear idea of which drivers you have in low, medium
and high risk categories. You can then evaluate if anyone needs
further training and/or information to reduce the risk.
At Fleetdrive we think if you at least do these four things you will
have gone a long way to improve your safety at work and compliance
with current legislation. Not to say that this is everything you
could do and your particular business may need a more thorough
approach. A full risk assessment for the whole business can also be
arranged.
|
Opt Out and car allowance drivers.
Before we finish, remember – your drivers include
all employees not just those you provide vehicles for. That
includes people taking car allowances in fact anyone who may drive
while working for you.
The Post Office recently had to pay out £500,000
because an employee had an accident using their own motorcycle to
drop off a letter “on the way home” and where uninsured.
So yes you are still responsible for the condition
of the vehicle they are driving and if they have business driving
covered in their insurance.
Fleetdrive have a special ONE-CALL package
incorporating maintenance management and accident management that
will enable you to check that all is in order for vehicle
maintenance and insurance for all your vehicles including
opt-out drivers.
The driver still pays for his own maintenance and
insurance but benefits from the following:
- Expert
authorisation of their garage bills
- Collection
and delivery for servicing ( saving time out of the workplace)
- Accident
management to reduce the time the car is off the road and get help
with claims and replacement vehicles.
- Labour
rates at big fleet discounts.
- Fleet
discounts on breakdown cover
You will be able to access reporting about the
maintenance of these vehicles and accident records thus ensuring
you have a complete picture of your risk on the road. |
 |
