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Managing Work-Related Road Safety - Your Questions Answered

Note: whilst every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of responses below, this information is provided for discussion purposes.  Readers are advised to independently check the veracity of this information and the degree to which it may apply to their own, perhaps unique circumstances, before taking any action.

Managing Work-Related Road Safety
Your Questions Answered

 
‘Managing Work-Related Road Safety’ is a term that is often used interchangeably with ‘Managing Driving at/for Work’ and ‘Managing Operational Road Risk’. 
 
Recent regulatory changes, including the rules on driving with a provisional license, the establishment of the RSA in 2006, a regulated Approved Driving Instructor regime and the reduction of blood-alcohol limits for drivers, together mark the beginning of a new era of safer driving in Ireland.
 
One area expected to receive more attention in 2009 is driving for work. Both the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and the Health & Safety Authority (HSA) now include specific actions in their programmes of work which is expected will address Driving for Work issues, such as the ones outlined here.
 
In 2008, there were 279 fatalities on Irish roads and 82% of fatal road collisions are due primarily to ‘driver error’. It has been estimated by the RSA that 26% of fatalities are work-related. Other studies suggest the figure could be as many as one in three. The issue is that all estimates are based on disparate sources of incomplete data and this in part, has contributed to a limited perception of risk by both drivers and their employers.
 
It is worthwhile noting that in the UK, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) estimates that one in three road fatalities and serious injuries are work-related. In 2003, the UK Department for Transport issued guidance to employers on ‘Driving for Work’ and in 2007 it prioritised driving for work alongside young drivers and motorcyclists as deserving special attention.
 
In January 2009, the RSA and Health & Safety Authority (HSA), jointly issued ‘Driving At Work - An Employers Guide to Managing Work-Related Road Safety’.   Here we explore some related questions that you as an employer may have and we welcome your feedback.
 
Q: Why is Managing Work-Related Road Safety important?
A: There are four key areas that managing work-related road safety addresses:
•        Risk mitigation – risk of harm to employees and others
•        Duty of Care – legal obligation for putting in place effective management
•        Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
•        Financial – cost avoidance. The actual full cost to a business of a collision is estimated to be 8 to 32 times the ‘bent metal’ cost or the amount claimable under insurance (Source: ILCI). For those companies that are self-insured, the full-cost comes directly off the bottom-line.
 
Q: What legislation and guidelines apply to Driving for Work?
A: The extent of legislation can depend on the sector that your company operates in but as a general rule, the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005, states ‘every employer shall identify the hazards…under his or her control, assess the risks presented by those hazards and be in possession of a written assessment (to be known and referred to in this Act as a “risk assessment”)’. For example, from September 2008, bus and coach drivers throughout the EU must undergo training every five years. This requirement will extend to heavy goods vehicles from September 2009.
Q: Does an employer duty of care extend to company-car drivers, those using their own vehicles and contractors?
A: Yes, it does. The 2005 Act specifies that employers owe a duty of care to all individuals that its activities may affect. This also includes other road-users.
 
Q: Are there key facts and statistics available on Driving for Work in Ireland?
A: Unfortunately, part of the problem is the limited metrics and official estimates in Ireland. For example, looking at fatalities, in 2005, RSA statistics show that there were 46 of the 396 lives lost were bus or lorry related. Other work-related driving fatalities – involving company cars, vans, taxis, motorbikes, employees using their own cars for work – are obviously not included, so the overall work-related death and serious injury figure is much higher.
 
Q: ‘Statistically, what is the situation like in other countries, such as the UK?’
A:
-        40%-50% of company vehicles are involved in an accident each year 1, 3
-        Accident rate is 40% higher for business drivers than private motorists 1
-        Average cost of £875 per incident 1
-        ‘Still some groups that remain more at risk, especially young drivers, motorcyclists and those who drive for work’ 2
-        25 –30 per cent of all fatalities in crashes involving vehicles being driven for work 4
-               Company car drivers are 54% more likely to exceed the motorway speed limit by 10mph, than non at-work drivers 5
Sources:
1 GE Commercial Finance – Fleet Services
2 2nd Review of UK Government’s Road Safety Strategy 2007
3 Association of British Insurers, ABI
4 RoSPA
5 Green Flag / Brake, the road safety charity
 
Q: How can we manage these Driving for Work risks?
A: By taking a managed risk approach in a culturally supportive environment. This requires senior management commitment and good, two-way communication with all drivers. Driver risk management – i.e. the implementation of appropriate policies, programs and processes - will help reduce numbers or consequences of crashes, but it is important to realise that the risks associated with driving for work will never be eliminated entirely.
 
Q: What are the benefits of managing work-related road safety?
A: Several business benefits can apply, including:
-         Lower costs – such as insurance, repairs, asset and people downtime, management overhead, administration avoidance, fuel bills
-         Higher morale – demonstrates a commitment to employee wellbeing
-         Improved public image – those companies that invest in managing work-related road safety can legitimately refer to this when communicating with prospective and existing clients, investors and other interested parties. Conversely, a serious or fatal accident involving an employee would be extremely damaging.
-         Protection from prosecution – having visible director and senior management buy-in, effective risk management policies, procedures and systems can help demonstrate that every reasonable step was taken to meet duty of care requirements and prevent a road accident occurring.
 
Q: Doesn’t our insurance cover our financial exposure?
A: No. Insurance typically covers directly related costs of an accident. The indirect or hidden costs that may arise include:
 
-        Loss of company reputation and contracts
-        Fines and costs of prosecution
-        Damage to products/ plant/ building and equipment
-        Staff down-time for medical / court appointments etc.
-        Replacement staff costs and sick pay
-        Loss of production or production delays
-        Increased insurance premiums and excess
-        Accident investigation and paperwork
-        Alternative transport for repair duration
-        Management and administrative time.
-        Offenders’ own legal fees
-        Claims from third parties
-        Inconvenience
-        Re-delivery
 
Q: Is driver training the answer?
A: One of the most accepted ways of reducing risks is by introducing appropriate training into a culturally supportive environment. Therefore driver training – whether on-road or online - in itself, is not a solution but it does play an important part of a well thought out driver risk management process.
 
 
Q: ‘Surely if an employee has a driving license, they are fit to drive for work’?
A: According to December 2007 survey in Ireland 5, 84% of companies do license check their employees who drive for work. Even so, this basic management process may be insufficient for several reasons. These include inability to verify against DoE records of endorsement, penalty points.
 
Source:
5 ‘Driver Wellbeing’ Survey Report 2008
 
 
Q: Where can I get further independent information and guidance?
A: There are many good sources of information available – some in Ireland and considerably more in the UK that is still relevant. Locally, these include publications, journals and newsletters from the RSA, HSA, Health & Safety Review, NISO and IOSH. In the UK, there are road safety charities and non-profit organisations such as BRAKE and ROSPA as well as websites on best practise such as HSE, RoadSafe, Driving for Better Business,
 
FURTHER INFORMATION SOURCES ON WORK RELATED ROAD SAFETY
http://www.driverfocus.ie
http://www.brake.org.uk/index.php?p=128
http://www.dft.gov.uk/drivingforwork/
http://www.hse.gov.uk/roadsafety/
http://www.orsa.org.uk/
http://www.pacts.org.uk/conferences/conferences.htm
  
 
Q: What precisely is an employer expected to do?
A: Under the 2005 Health and Safety Act, employers are required to manage occupational road risk in they same way that they manage other Health and Safety risks.
 
This means employers need to:
-         Show demonstrable director-level support for managing occupational road risk
-         Communicate your road safety messages to staff clearly, regularly and succinctly
-         Ensure you have effective management systems and practices in place
-         Delegate responsibility and duties to relevant people
-         Carry out appropriate risk and fitness to drive assessments
-         Use this systematic approach to check all that all reasonable and practical steps to avoid risk on the road and to ensure safe driving are being taken
-         Provide adequate driver training for those most at-risk and
-         Monitor and review performance regularly
 
Journey planning is an effective road risk measure. Drivers and managers need always to plan the safest routes, avoiding congestion, crash sites and adverse weather. Sometimes road trips can be avoided (e.g. by using video conferencing for meetings). Second best would be to use public transport or looking at ways to promote car-sharing. These alternatives to driving also have the added benefit of being good for the environment.
 
Vehicles need to be fit-for-purpose, properly maintained and inspected regularly by the driver. Where necessary, extra safety features should be fitted. It is worth considering whether any such device is likely to be a distraction to the driver e.g. like using mobile phones while driving, even with ‘hands free’.
 
Work practices which cause drivers to speed need to be avoided. For example, guaranteeing call out times or ‘just in time’ deliveries, compensation based on number of calls made.
 
Employers also need to avoid asking staff to drive while tired and at times of day when falling asleep at the wheel is more likely. They also need to be mindful about driver fatigue e.g. highlighting the risk associated with sleep deprivation when looking after sick children at home or poor work/life balance.
 
Other potential health impairments that may affect driver fitness include alcohol / drugs intake and recovery from major surgery. Of course, managers should lead by example.
 
Employers need to check each driver’s license, assess attitudes and driving competence, record crashes, penalty points histories, encourage incident reporting and learn from these and ‘near-misses’.  Online driver assessment could be used to target training for those with greatest needs.
 
Finally, work-related road safety is a journey. Employers need to know where they are today, where they want to be in say, three years time and then put in place an adequately resources and supported plan to achieve these clear objectives. This will involve training line managers, consultation with stakeholders, senior management example and recognising good, safe driving.