OCCUPATIONAL ROAD RISK

According to the Department of Transport, road freight has increased by a staggering 76% since 1980 and van usage has increased by 40% in the last 10 years.

With these statistics, it is expected that the number of accidents on the roads will increase.  The HSE suggests that there are as many as 20 fatal road traffic accidents, involving people at work, every week.  It is also suggested that each week there could be as many as 250 road traffic accidents that result in serious injuries.

There is no specific requirement in the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 to manage occupational road risk.  The HSE will, fact, only prosecute if there is a clear failing in an organisations safety management system, which may result in corporate manslaughter cases being brought against companies under the forthcoming Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007.

Risk Assessment
So what can organisations do to reduce the risk of road traffic accidents involving their employees?

Firstly, by means of a risk assessment, organisations need to recognise that there is a risk of injury to their employees from road traffic accidents.  The risk assessment needs to cover:

1.  The driver – competence, accident record, points accrued on licence etc.
2.  The vehicle – condition, age, safety features, if SatNav is fitted etc.
3.  The journey – whether on motorways or not, in built up areas, duration & distance etc.

Control Measures
There is a huge number of control measures that can be adopted to reduce the risk to company vehicle drivers.  Once identified, these controls can help in the formulation of an ‘Occupational Driving’ policy.  Controls considered may include:

• Driver training – advanced driving, defensive driving;
• Eyesight tests;
• Drug and alcohol screening
• Vehicle inspections
• Maximum driving times / distances including rest breaks

Once policies have been developed and effectively communicated, requirements can then be added to employees ‘Terms and Conditions’ of employment.

Summary
Whilst there are no specific legal requirements for the management of occupational road risk, there are general duties for the protection of employees that must be complied with.  The problem is easily solved by including it in the general risk assessment process.

The benefits, especially in the terms of employee retention and financial gain, are vast.  In some cases, insurance companies may be able to help out with costs as in the long term it may reduce the risk of them having to pay out on policies.

For more information about developing safe systems of work please do not hesitate to contact me on my mobile or by e-mail.