Driving at Work Policy
Large numbers of employees are required to drive at work by their employer, whether it’s in their own vehicle or their employers’ vehicle. The Health and Safety Executive estimates that around a third of road traffic accidents involve someone driving for work purposes. This puts driving clearly in the sphere of work activities that need to be managed from the health and safety perspective. Many businesses have professional drivers but many businesses also employ managers and sales people who drive for work. If an employee from your office drives to the post office to buy some stamps, they are driving for work too.
If an employee uses machinery and equipment in your workplace, a risk assessment and health and safety policy document should apply. Do you have a driving at work policy? How about risk assessments for driving at work activities?
Reducing the risks of Driving at Work
How can you reduce the risks involved in driving at work?
- Ensure your drivers are appropriately licenced, competent and fit to drive.
- Provide company vehicles that are fit for purpose or ensure your grey fleet management is robust.
- Consider how driving can be reduced by replacing meetings with conference calls etc.
- Look into outsourcing deliveries or using public transport to get to meetings.
- Ensure that delivery schedules and travel deadlines are realistic.
- Have strict control over driver distractions such as mobile phone use.
As an employer you should set out your expectations of your drivers in a driving at work policy. The policy should also cover staff using their own vehicles on company business. The policy should set out the company approach to managing driving at work and also include responsibilities for drivers and managers within the business.
Next Steps
Other roles in the management hierarchy within the business should have specific responsibilities in relation to motor fleet risk management. Once you have your policy written, don’t forget to get your drivers and their managers to read the policy and sign to declare that they understand the policy content.
