Driving is one of the most dangerous activities most people do, and for many businesses it is something many people do every day. It is often an activity given very little thought, both by the driver and the organisation itself. Yet, if something goes wrong and if a major incident occurs, the repercussions could be very serious. It can affect many people and the organisation itself.
It's therefore essential that all owners, directors and managers in any business that uses a vehicle take into account the following obligations:
- Moral – everybody has an expectation that they return from work safe and well, and not suffer injury
- Legal – there are various duties and obligations that you are required by law to fulfil
- Financial – effective management can increase productivity and reduce unnecessary costs
Why the Fire and Rescue Service?
Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service can assist with managing road work related road safety (WRRS). Our firefighters attend more road traffic collisions than fight fires. We often see the unintended results far too often. For this reason, we want to see a decline in the number of incidents.
This service is offered completely free of charge. The fewer road traffic collisions we attend, the more we can use our resources elsewhere. The fewer incidents on the roads, the smoother the road system, and of course, the more lives saved.
Does this apply to my business?
Any business which employs people who are paid while driving or claim mileage (including subcontracted) or considered to be driving for work now have a legal obligation towards your employees. There are severe consequences if you ignore these and should an incident occur.
But what if they drive their own vehicle?
This is considered ‘grey fleet’ and the same rules apply. Even if someone pops out to get something for the business, they are still considered as driving for work.
So how can we help?
Firstly, you need to look at your organisation. What areas of WRRS do you think may need improving, or you hadn’t considered? The most effective way to do this is to undertake 'Driving for Better Business’s' fleet risk assessment.
You will need to register and set up a password. Once completed, this is a very comprehensive risk assessment, which provides explanations along the way.
Once the risk assessment is completed, email it back to us at roadsafety@cornwall.gov.uk, together with your contact details. We will analyse the results and put together a bespoke package for your business, and get in touch.
Driver policies and handbooks
Every business should have a driver policy and every vehicle should have a driver handbook. The handbook highlights the policies and aides the driver and should cover:
- What do your drivers do in a breakdown?
- What is the procedure in an emergency?
- Can they use hands-free mobile phones?
- Do they need to tell anyone if they get points on their license?
We can provide advice in this area, and have a range of example driver handbooks and policies available to download below:
Example driver handbooks:
Example driver policies: