As A Manager, Are You Prepared For The Worst?
Two similar and well worth reading articles in Fleet News caught our eye this week. Both cover the same topic - how prepared would you be if one of your colleagues is involved in a fatal crash while Driving for Work?
Any sudden traumatic death or serious injury can “impact hugely” on a company, according to Rosie Murray, disaster management specialist for Brake.
It could be a death/serious injury caused by an employee, the death/serious injury of an employee, the death of a family member of an employee or a trauma experienced by an employee.
“You have to be ready to deal with it appropriately and to care for those staff that have been impacted,” she says. If one of your drivers is involved in a fatality while driving for work, expect to be contacted by the police.
They will want to know what risk assessments had been carried out, the company’s policy on driving at work (including policies on alcohol and drug use), what driver training is provided, when the driver’s licence was last checked, whether work schedules were realistic, whether the driver had any health issues (including eyesight), records of previous collisions, the driver’s familiarity with the vehicle and whether the driver was aware of their responsibilities.
It is not simply about having the right policies in place, companies must be seen to be using them and employees must understand them.
“We’re not just talking about devastation now, we’re talking about devastation for years to come.”
Company Car Drivers
HGV drivers accept that their primary role is driving, but a company car driver might not see it that way.
Geoff Wright, chief fleet engineer at CM Downton, has had to deal with two fatal accidents during his long career as a fleet manager.
“They might be a sales person or a merchandiser, but actually their primary role is a driver when you think about the mileage they do,” Wright said.
“But do they think of it that way? Does your company think of them in that way?
“Make sure everybody in your company, right from the very top all the way down, is aware.”
Further reading: