Fleet Training

I can offer a range of services to commercial operations in respect of their drivers both professional and those who use their own cars for business purposes.

ECO Driving

I am now regularly running courses in eco friendly driving. With a cost of fuel becoming a major issue for many companies, reducing outgoing by adopting a more measured style of driving can produce significant savings.

Most of these courses start with a presentation about the principles of eco driving. This is followed by on road activity for the delegates, each of whom will get the chance to drive in a different way, with my help and guidance.

Naturally any such event can be tailored to meet your exact needs.

New Corporate Regulations

Historically the Police investigated all road accidents, including fatalities, whilst the Health and Safety executive investigated ‘workplace’ accidents. The line was effectively drawn at the factory gate. The line has now moved and the onus is moving rapidly towards corporate responsibility.

Where a road accident involves personal injury, to anyone involved in the accident, (not just the driver) records compiled by the police now include whether the driver was ‘at work’. The Police enquiry will continue but now there is also likely to be another investigation focussing on the internal safety systems within the company, not just the actions of the driver.

This is a summary of what the Health and Safety Executive’s own guidelines say: ‘When a person is employed, and as part of his employment he is driving on the road’ -note this does not indicate only company owned vehicles - ‘you have a duty to assess the risks and take practical measures to ensure safe systems’ of work’.

Every year, lawyers take more and more compensation cases from staff who have been injured at work. For many employees, the road is their workplace, and it can be a dangerous place, if management make unreasonable demands on their time, or fail to manage their driving policies sensibly.

Company representatives are not exempt. Delivery drivers are not exempt. Workers travelling between offices are not exempt. Driving to a meeting is not exempt. Even driving home from the office after a long days work is not exempt.

The benefits to a company of implementing robust solutions are immense:

• Less time off for staff through injury or stress
• A better public image by promoting staff well being as a core element of recruitment and training
• An enriched Health and Safety culture
• Cost saving by improving vehicle maintenance
• Major savings on net costs
• The potential for saving road traffic insurance costs

Inadequate systems on the other hand could include hidden costs that include:

• Loss of earnings and reputation
• Accident investigation time and paperwork
• Payment of salaries to staff off work through injury
• Replacement staff or temporary staff
• Replacement vehicles
• Loss of sales if employee off work
• Loss of customers if you fail to meet previously arranged deadlines
• Legal expenses
• Potential future higher insurance premiums and excesses on the claim
• Perhaps a prosecution and resultant court costs and fines

.

If any company wished to discuss possible options with myself’ then we would need to examine such items as:

• The number of employees you have and what driving that have to do in the course of their duties
• How many company vehicles you own or lease.
• How you comply with service schedules
• How you know owner drivers comply with service schedules
• What are your time restrictions on driving
• What hours your employees work
• Do your drivers receive payment for the number of jobs they attend or the hours that they work?