Licence Bureau has highlighted three road risk management fundamentals for businesses in order to support their duty of care obligations when employees take to the wheel.
The move aligns with the growth in ‘grey fleet’ – people using their own vehicles for work purposes – influenced by business trends such as cash contributions, remote working and a more transient workforce.
The UK’s number one supplier of Driver Licence validation services is advising individuals responsible for managing health and safety at work to adopt three very simple, yet practical, procedures to advance their road safety compliance journey:
- Driver Licence checks – to cover off and document licence status and entitlement to drive; date validity; endorsements or points; and licence category coverage
- Vehicle status – ensure up-to-date records of vehicle details from basic registration details and MoT certificates/renewal dates to service schedules
- ‘Business use’ insurance cover – request copies of insurance certificates to ensure business use’ is specified – this is typically exempt from ‘standard policies’ which cover social, domestic and pleasure use, as well as for driving back and forth to a permanent place of work.
‘All companies have a responsibility to ensure, as far as is reasonably practical, that the health, safety and welfare of employees is looked after in the workplace and this includes driving,’ said Malcolm Maycock, managing director of Licence Bureau.
He continued, ‘We know the changing dynamics of driving for business presents a challenge right now for businesses of all sizes,’ said Malcolm. ‘Compliance is a very real issue and many companies will, by default, be flouting their duty of care obligations. For this reason, we are actively encouraging organisations to initiate the three key steps to initiate that compliance journey and take back control.’
Adding weight to the argument for ensuring these areas are observed and documented is Licence Bureau’s own research which has highlighted that 10% of user chooser business drivers admit to driving without the necessary business insurance cover; 14% recognise their vehicle service is overdue; and 10% are aware their vehicle needs mechanical attention.
