Driver Risk Assessment

As an employer, your workforce may include drivers. That may be drivers of cars, large goods vehicles (LGV’s), vans or passenger carrying vehicles. In all instances, you should have an occupational driving risk assessment.

This article explores how to implement a dedicated driver risk assessment rather than a generic approach. If you need immediate support on driver risk assessments or any other health and safety issue, contact Croner today and speak to our expert advisors.

Why do you need a risk assessment?

A risk assessment is a fundamental part of your internal risk management strategy. You should monitor risk levels for potential workplace hazards, and encourage further training for staff.

By law, in accordance with the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations, you should have risk assessments in place in your business.

What is an occupational driving risk assessment?

If you employ drivers in your business, this presents a different risk profile. Risk factors are influenced by driver behaviour and driving skills. Can you really legislate for individual drivers’ safe driving techniques?

This is why a specific risk assessment is important. As well as protecting your employees, you can also assess your company drivers’ risks.

Done right, using driver risk assessments that are individual to the driver, you can look at each of your  drivers’ potential risk exposure. In addition, you can provide driver training to manage risks and improve skills.

What is different about a driver risk assessment?

Although a driver risk assessment appears similar to a standard risk assessment template, the content differs. Driver risk assessments cover aspects such as lone working, driver behaviours, motor accidents, distractions, other vehicles and pedestrians.

It is worth thinking about what your drivers may be doing once they park up. Manual handling is just one of the potential risks to identify. So, ensure you have sufficient control measures in place.

Your driver risk assessment should evaluate whether or not your drivers are carrying out their work in a safe manner in adherence to compliance. Look closely at your work procedures and assess possible dangers/risks that might result from them. Record your observations and note how any risks could affect your employees.

Once complete, your driver risk assessment functions as a document to inform you and your managers how you will manage risks and make the workplace safe.

Who needs driver risk assessments

No matter whether you manage a fleet of vehicles, if you employ staff to drive a vehicle at work, it is very important to perform a driver risk assessment. You need to ensure that all driving practices are being performed as safely as possible.

Remember, there is road traffic legislation that imposes a number of specific requirements on employers when it comes to the use and maintenance of vehicles:

• Vehicles must have a valid MOT certificate.
• Vehicles must have valid insurance, privately owned cars must still have business insurance if being used for business purposes
• Any driver must hold an applicable license.

What are the main risk factors for drivers?

For the avoidance of doubt, consider that crashes and road accidents can have serious consequences including:

• Loss of days due to injury.
• Repairs to vehicles.
• Missed orders/deliveries.
• Increased running costs.
• Serious injuries and even death.

Fleet Risk is the risk any of your staff might be involved in should a crash or collision occur whilst they are driving on behalf of your business. Irrespective of driving skills, a driver could injure themselves or others.

As an employer you have a legal responsiblity to assess and minimise the above risks. Even as a small business owner who might not think you have a fleet of vehicles, remember that if anyone in your business ever drives a car or van on your behalf, all of these issues still apply.

What types of drivers would need a risk assessment?

Anyone who drives for business purposes, other than commuting, in a business or privately owned vehicle will need to be considered in your risk assessment.

There are numerous types of vehicle that might be used in a workplace. These include driver of the following:

Cat C1

A goods vehicle between 3.5 tons and 7.5 tons. Ambulances and supermarket delivery vehicles fall into this category.

HGV/LGV Cat ‘C’

A rigid-body vehicle that is heavier than 7.5 tons. Fire engines, refuse trucks and smaller HGV lorries fall into this category.

HGV/LGV At ‘C+E’

Vehicles over 7.5 tons that have a detachable trailer. The largest HGVs seen on UK roads fall into this category.

PCV/Cat D

A large passenger-carrying vehicle, such as a bus or coach.

Forklift operators

A powered industrial truck used to lift and move materials over short distances.

Other drivers include chaffeurs, fleet car users and even car salespeople conducting test drives and employees riding motorcycles.

Get expert support on driver risk assessments

Working with Croner H&S support is all about understanding your individual circumstances. If you employ drivers and want to make your workplace safer, we can help.

We’ll work with you to help you understand the overall risk levels of each of the drivers in your workplace. Your driver risk assessment will assess each individual closely, so that you can identify any drivers who are more at risk.

We’ll support you with your driver risk assessment so you can take the essential step of ensuring that your drivers are safe in your workplace. Our experts will help you to determine what aspects of that work are unsafe and explain how you can make them safer.

Contact Croner

Croner has a team of award-winning HR consultants who are specialists in their field. We've been helping businesses for over 80 years and our advice line is open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Why not speak to a Croner expert on 0808 145 3375

Disclaimer: This template is provided ‘as is’ and Croner Group Ltd excludes all representations, warranties, obligations and liabilities in relation to the template to the maximum extent permitted by law.

Croner Group Ltd is not liable for any errors or omissions in the template and shall not be liable for any loss, injury or damage of any kind caused by its use. Use of the template is entirely at the risk of the User and should you wish to do so then independent legal advice should be sought before use.

Use of the template will be deemed to constitute acceptance of the above terms.