Fleet Insurance – employers and duty of care

by Tony on 16/02/2011 in Factsheet, Motor Fleet Insurance

Employers are legally responsible for employees who drive whilst at work

Employers are legally responsible for employees who drive whilst at work. The employer’s responsibility also extends to ensuring that private vehicles used by employees on ‘company business’ are also operated in a lawful manner.

Management policy

1. Assign a senior manager with specific responsibility for managing driving at work.

1. Implement a Health & Safety policy, which incorporates a driving at work policy.

1. Routinely undertake record and act on the finding of risk assessments dealing with all aspects of driving at work including driver safety, vehicle safety and journey planning.

1. Ensure that every incident involving any vehicle driven on behalf of the company is recorded and that collective information is regularly analysed and action taken to reduce recurrence.

Driver safety

1. Provide a driver’s handbook that includes road safety guidance and sets out individual driver responsibilities, in support of the Company’s policies and procedures, e.g. what to do in the event of an incident.

Vehicle safety

1. Ensure that all employees driving on behalf of the company are initially vetted, inducted and regularly assessed, to establish that they are properly licensed, competent, suitably trained and medically fit to do so.

1. Ensure that when choosing vehicles to be used on behalf of the company, they are entirely suitable for their intended purpose and that utmost importance is placed on safety features.

Journey planning

1. Check whether a road journey is really necessary – and encourage the use of alternative modes of communication/transport where this is practical.

1. Ensure that necessary journeys are scheduled to a realistic timetable and are planned to take into account the essential need for adequate rest periods.

For further information on how good risk management can improve your fleet insurance premiums, contact Tony Gibbs on 0118 9452944.

Factsheets, Motor Fleet Insurance