Risk Assessment, Driver Safety Policy & Driver Safety Handbook

Risk Assessment

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) states that: ‘As an employer or self-employed person, you are responsible for assessing the risks to health and safety in your business. A Risk assessment must be in place for any work-related driving activities and should follow the same principles as for any other work activity.’ Having a risk assessment in place is a business-critical requirement. It will help you to identify the risks that your driving activities pose to your business, your staff and other road users. I can either review your current risk assessment or produce one for your business.

Driver Safety Policy

Having identified the risks, you can put suitable arrangements in place to mitigate them – the basis of which is a comprehensive Driver Safety Policy.

The HSE would expect this to be in place and should your business find itself subject to a police or HSE investigation, following an on-road incident, this would be the first document they would ask to see.

Your Driver Safety Policy should outline your expectations of staff and what your staff can expect from you, with the sole aim of reducing driver risk. With this being an important document, you must ensure it is effectively communicated and reviewed on an annual basis and more often if your business changes.

I can help by either reviewing your existing Driver Safety Policy or producing one for you, but one that will be aligned to your business, your drivers and the journeys they make.

Driver Safety Handbook

A Driver Safety handbook is designed to compliment your Driver Safety Policy and should be as comprehensive as possible.

It’s a means of extending your duty of care to provide drivers with sound safety advice, hints and tips as well as procedures that you would expect them to follow.

It should include information on subjects ranging from employer responsibilities and expected driving standards to codes of practice, mobile phones and alcohol, drugs and medication.

I can help with this by reviewing your existing Driver Safety Handbook or producing a Driver Safety Handbook specifically for your business.