If you’re driving for work, you’re at work: a new TV Campaign launched on the 6th February by the Road Safety Authority of Ireland aims at focussing on the importance of employers acknowledging their responsibility for the safety of their workers.
Both employers and the self-employed have a duty of care to manage the risks faced by employees as well as any they create when they drive for work. Health and safety norms in fact apply to all work activities—driving for work is not excluded and vehicles are considered a place of work. The campaign reminds us of this important fact with the tagline, “If you’re driving for work, you’re at work”.
Companies that rely on driving should have in place a system for managing safety and risks. They need to ensure that their employees are in possession of the legal certifications needed to drive, are using safe and roadworthy vehicles as well as making sure their team is competent, fit to drive and trained to use vehicles safely.
Under Irish and also UK legislation, companies are responsible for putting procedures in place that make sure employees drive safely at all times. The campaign aims at raising awareness and sensitizing employers to the recognition of their responsibilities to their employees.
In the video you will see their point of view. The scenario in the video depicts the aftermath of a collision involving an employee while driving for work. The employers express their regret, sorrow and guilt for not having managed employee risks correctly.
If an employee is driving for work, it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure they are fully qualified, capable and enabled to carry out this work task safely. The legal requirements ultimately also help businesses, as they help them achieve
- reduction in road collisions,
- fewer employee injuries,
- less absenteeism,
- lower maintenance costs,
- lower vehicle repair costs,
- lower insurance premiums,
- improved compliance with legislation, and
- lower fuel costs.
If you are unclear on how to manage risks in your fleet and need some technological help to assist you, SynX can help. Schedule a demo and we will show you how.
