Driving at work

Driving at work – Many employers believe that their responsibility stops with ensuring that vehicles are compliant with legislation and drivers have valid permits. They are wrong. The knowledge level as well as mental and physical well-being of drivers is the responsibility of employers.

Employers have a responsibility to manage health and safety of their entire staff compliment effectively. This includes all those on the premises as well as those on duty elsewhere. Health and safety of employees can only be assured by carrying out risk assessments. In my previous blogs I have, thus far, primarily spoken about carrying out the various forms of risk assessments on-site. This is not applicable, and may even be impossible to do, when employees carry out duties elsewhere.

Many incidents happen due to inattention and distraction as well as failure to observe the rules and legislation.

Drivers of vehicles, be it lorries or delivery-bakkies, can not be overlooked. They too are covered by the South African Health and Safety legislation. Without their services the economy would literally come to a standstill. Employees are only excluded when they are commuting, unless the employee is travelling from home to a location that is not their usual place of work.

Risk assessments for any work-related driving activity should follow the same principles as risk assessments for any other work activity. Employers should bear in mind that failure to properly manage work-related road safety is more likely to endanger other people than failure to properly manage risks at the workplace.

It is important to have the medical and mental condition of driver's checked regularly and that drivers are aware that even the slightest change in physical condition has to be reported. Fitness to drive is the first thing authorities would like to establish if a driver is involved in an incident. If alcohol or drug abuse can be ruled out, any mental or medical unfitness becomes the responsibility of the employer and, as such, will make them liable.

Even if it is proved that the driver was under the influence, employers should still ask themselves how much they did to prevent an incident from happening. Many traffic accidents happen because drivers who are under the influence of alcohol or (recreational) drugs that were consumed before their shift started or who were still exhausted from what they did during their time off. With drunk-driving legislation having become very strict, some companies have started testing their drivers for alcohol or drug abuse before they are allowed on the road in order to prevent accidents from happening.

And with petrol prices at a historical high, alternatives like video-conferences or simple conference-calls have suddenly become economically attractive. The bonus is that this has reduced incidents with company vehicles too.

But even the simplest steps can avoid incidents from happening, for instance reminding drivers to check oil and water levels regularly. A vehicle that spills fluids or unexpectedly comes to a standstill because of technical failure is as dangerous as a vehicle that veers of the road. And drivers unaware of the vehicle's width or height are as dangerous as those who drive flammable or explosive cargoes.

Each year South African's are shocked when a report is published about traffic fatalities during a particular holiday period. But promoting sound health and safety driving practices and a good safety culture at work may well spill over into private driving. The responsibility of employers, therefore, doesn't stop with providing a safe and functional vehicle or checking a driver's qualifications to drive. Checking on a driver's ability to drive could also reduce the chances of staff being injured in a crash outside work.