Guide to help reduce work-related driving deaths and injuries

WorkSafe Victoria and the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) launched a guide entitled 'Guide to safe work-related driving to help reduce deaths and injuries resulting from work-related driving'.

The TAC’s senior manager for road safety David Healy said the guide provided practical advice to employers, fleet managers and drivers on measures to reduce risks associated with work-related driving: “Research shows that fleet driving represents an increased crash risk relative to non-fleet driving. Data from the Australian Safety and Compensation Council shows that vehicle accidents represent 41% of all compensated work fatalities.”

Given this high risk profile, the benefits of a work-related driving safety program could be significant and include reduced death and injury and all their related personal, social and economic costs; greater productivity through increases in vehicle use; and greater ability to manage the fleet safely by using fleet safety and incident information.

WorkSafe’s executive director John Merritt said the guide was a resource for employers setting up their own work-related driving safety program: “It concentrates on the occupational health and safety obligations of employers in providing and maintaining cars that are used for work-related purposes.”

The key features of a work-related driving safety program should include:

• A purchasing policy based on a minimum of a four-star safety rating in the Australasian New Car Assessment Program;
• Involvement of employees and local management;
• Driver information and education;
• An appropriate vehicle inspection and maintenance program; and
• An incident and accident follow-up action plan.

The guide deals with work-related driving in a business sequence, beginning with planning before driving, through to on-road risk management and monitoring and reviews of fleet performance.

The guide is available from www.worksafe.vic.gov.au