Driving is one of the most dangerous activities that we undertake daily. Whether it’s for social or professional purposes, driving requires full concentration from the driver. Driving is a risk not only for drivers but also any passengers, cyclists, motorcyclists and members of the public.
The nature of many businesses is that driving is a main activity. The Health and Safety Authority defines driving for work as any person who drives on a road as part of their work either in a vehicle provided by their employer or in their own vehicle and receives an allowance or payment from their employer for distances driven. Commuting to work is not included as a driving for work activity.
The statistics for 2015 reveal that 1 in 5 drivers involved in fatal collisions were driving for work and 1 in 10 drivers injured were driving for work. In February 2017 the HSA, RSA and An Garda Siochana launched a campaign focusing on employer’s road risk duties. They have developed a short e-learning course on managing driving for work which would be beneficial for both employers and employees.
Employers have responsibilities to manage driving for work. Although the driver is ultimately accountable for how a vehicle is driven on the road, the employer has a substantial influence on the driver and the vehicle. Under the Safety Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007, the employer has a duty of care to their employee by ensuring that the risks related with driving for work are suitably controlled. These include:
The Vehicle
The Driver
The Journey
In collaboration with our certified partner ALERT DRIVING from Toronto, Canada, CMSE Training offer a suite of world class advanced Alert Driving E-learning courses.
These courses are customised according to country – including UK, Ireland, France, USA and many more. Courses can be delivered in many languages.
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