Aside from the devastation caused to those involved, road accidents can also have huge financial, legal and reputational impact on your business. It’s a good ideal to create a road safety policy for your company vehicles that outlines the potential issues and regulations that staff need to be aware of.
Check the Regulations
Before you start writing your safety policy, it’s wise to get up to date on the regulations which need to be followed. Things like the workers compensation act or occupational health are all things to consider, so do your research before you get started.
Write an Overview
Your policy should begin with an overview which includes information about the company, the organisational structure of the business, how many employees it has and the reasons for the road safety policy. It’s a good idea to identify who the policy is aimed at and why it is beneficial to the driver, as well as a statement about the company’s commitment to road safety. The ultimate aim should be clear – that no injuries or fatalities should arise as a result of driving on company business.
Carry Out Risk Management
For a road safety policy to be effective, you need to carry out a risk assessment which will form the structure of the policy and highlight issues that drivers may face in the future. Identifying the duties of those involves and how you’d expect certain situations to be handled is important too. This will help you highlight the risks and provide guidance of how you would want the employee to conduct themselves as a representative of the business.
Use Clear Language
It’s critical that everyone who reads the guide is clear on what it says and the guidance it provides, so don’t be tempted to use complicated language or jargon. It needs to be simple, straightforward and to the point, with examples to verify your statements.
Cover How Drivers Will Be Managed
In the policy, outline how you, as a business, will manage your drivers and ensure their safety, as well as maintain the vehicles and journeys. This may be drawing on informative guides, having strict maintenance schedules in place and committing to regular risk assessments.
Set Targets
The policy should outline targets for achievements within the business, such as lower rates of incidents per miles travelled or lower repair costs and insurance premiums within a certain time period.
Make Sure Drivers Sign to Agree
Once the policy has been created, you need to ensure there is a way that drivers can sign it to agree to the terms outlined. 1800 Injured say that this will make it clear for future reference that both parties have understood what is expected with regards to safety procedures. Policies such as this are often personal and specific to the business, so there may be things that are relevant to your company or that may become essential in the future as the business evolves. Make it clear in the policy and to drivers that it can be updated as necessary to accommodate changes and consultations.
