Fleet Management and Road Safety go hand in hand. Managing company vehicles involves numerous responsibilities. With business cars and motorbikes making up a large proportion of vehicles on the road it is essential that the driver is well-trained, but also that the vehicles are roadworthy and able to cope with the loads they carry and the miles they cover.
What Are The Legal Requirements for Fleet Management and Road Safety?
Health and safety at work laws apply to working on the road in the same way that they do when an employee works in a warehouse or at a desk. Employers duties are defined as the health and safety of employees at work as far as is reasonably practical. That means taking all possible steps to ensure that they are not hurt whilst at work, or engaged in work-related activities, like driving and delivering. Employers are tasked to manage health and safety measures effectively, which includes carrying out assessment and consulting with employees.
Fleet managers when considering health and safety must also work to the standards laid out in the National Road Traffic Act. If there is a serious failure in fleet management health and safety, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will become involved. Injury or death of drivers (or of another person) can result in employers being prosecuted thus, the role of the fleet manager in health and safety is a serious one.
The Health And Safety Role Of The Fleet Manager
· Vehicle Inspections
Vehicle inspections are split into;
- A daily walk around – usually carried out by the driver or another responsible person
- First use/regular safety inspection – the frequency of which this is done will depend on age and type of vehicle, the load it carries, the environment as distance and speed of travel
· Reporting And Dealing With Faults And Routine Maintenance
There needs to be a strong and robust system in place to report, record and deal with faults. There needs to be a trail of evidence that shows defects have been rectified effectively and that regular maintenance, such as brake checks after a certain number of miles, are also carried out. These records should be kept for at least 15 months.
· Training Drivers
Drivers need to be adequately trained to safely drive and handle any vehicle they use in the course of their work. It is not just about driving the vehicle, but making sure that if drivers are expected to perform minor maintenance such as changing bulbs etc, that they are competently trained to do so.
· Have a First Aid Kit Onboard The Vehicle
All workers should be able to access a first aid kit. This will require at least one first aid kit to be provided at their workplace. A vehicle is defined as a workplace, so if business is being conducted from a vehicle then a first aid kit is important. If a driver or passenger is at all at risk of receiving an injury while working from a vehicle, then a first aid kit is essential.
A company should remember that a first aid kit is a last-resort measure and that workers should be able to conduct their work in a safe environment with the appropriate personal protective equipment. A first aid kit is not an excuse for workers not having access to protective equipment or safe working practices. A first aid kit is not a box of plasters, either.
The first aid kit should provide basic equipment for administering first aid for injuries including:
- cuts, scratches, punctures, grazes and splinters
- muscular sprains and strains
- minor burns
- amputations and/or major bleeding wounds
- broken bones
- eye injuries
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Arrive Alive
Organisations such as Arrive Alive have fantastic information for the Advantages of Effective Road Risk Strategies by Fleet Managers. Read more here.
resource: https://synergosconsultancy.co.uk/what-are-the-health-safety-responsibilities-of-fleet-managers/, https://www.arrivealive.mobi/fleet-management-logistics-and-road-safety