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.