2009-05-13

By Editor, CIR

Employees who fail to follow with their employer's best practice approach to occupational road risk management are being warned they could find themselves in court.

The warning comes from independent vehicle management company Fleet Support Group (FSG), which says many companies have encountered vehement employee protests when asking for personal information and vehicle data -- particularly in relation to privately-owned vehicles driven on business -- when introducing at-work driving safety measures.

Some companies have introduced 'get tough' policies in a bid to ensure employees sign-up to obtain a Permit to Drive. They include WHSmith and the OyezStraker Group, which refuse to pay mileage expenses and the Labour Party, which bans employees from driving on business. Other organisations refuse drivers' permission to hire a car

But FSG says employees who continue to evade their employer's safe driving policies and procedures could find themselves charged under the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act if they are involved in a crash.

Section seven of the Act stipulates that all employees have a duty while at work to:

-Take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and others who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work;
-Co-operate with their employer or any other person, so far as is necessary, to enable them to comply with any requirement or duty imposed under a relevant statutory provision

"Opposition to measures to improve road safety among at-work drivers must be overcome," says FSG chairman Geoffrey Bray. "We need to change some employees' attitudes towards road safety. Compliance with all company policies and procedures should be written into employment contracts.

"The legislation is something that companies are not using in a bid to ensure that employees provide the required information. However, it is a law businesses should use to ensure compliance.

"Boards of directors should ask themselves who is running the company; they or their employees? Firms must explain the rationale behind the safe driving measures they want to introduce and firmly regulate the process involved. If employees still fail to conform then more drastic steps should be taken including disciplinary measures."

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