Ensuring safety when driving for work is of paramount importance, whether you’re the employer or the employee.
The HSE have reported that company car drivers are 49% more likely to be involved in traffic collisions, and so-called “Grey Fleet” vehicles (i.e., personal vehicles used for business use) are increasingly prevalent. The Health and Safety Executive has recently updated their guidance on driving for work.
As part of this updated guidance, they clarify that:
“Commuting to work is not generally classified as driving for work, except where someone's journey starts from their home, and they are travelling to a work location that is not their normal place of work.”
Given this, they go on to state that if anyone is travelling for work purposes, health and safety is the responsibility of the employer, while commuting is the purview of the employee. A risk assessment must be undertaken before travelling, covering such areas as the journey, the driver (or rider, when referring to mopeds and motorbikes) and the vehicle.
They continue:
“Hazards that can cause harm to the driver or rider, passengers, other road users and/or pedestrians when driving for work include:
· roadworks, traffic, and congestion
· vehicle condition
· fatigue and distraction
· time pressures
· the weather
· behaviour of other road users”
It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that employees do not drive an excessive number of hours, and the business is also responsible for checking that a vehicle is properly maintained, even if it belongs to the employee.
For more information, please go to https://www.hse.gov.uk/roadsafety/index.htm
