UK companies managing road risk inconsistently and poorly

6 Dec 2016

A safety manager has said many companies are managing the risks of drivers on company business “inconsistently and in some cases poorly” which is a risk to themselves and other road users.

IAM RoadSmart reports that Tony Ashford from civil engineering and construction contractor Alun Griffiths Contractors approached the road safety charity to put all 130 drivers within its rail division through a programme which will identify individual driver risk ratings then provide targeted learning modules and practical coaching.

Driving for Better Business says that one-third of accidents on UK roads involve drivers on work duties.

Commenting on the overall picture of road safety management by companies in the UK Tony Ashford said: “Today’s working environment demands more and more from us all which, at times, can lead to inappropriate behaviours – use of hands-free mobile phones, exceeding the speed limit, driving for long periods without appropriate rest, inadequate training, fatigue and the like.

“Although, in the majority of cases, these are not deliberate violations people sometimes do the wrong things for what they feel are the right reasons – it takes demonstrable leadership and discipline by all to ensure that the correct driving behaviours and awareness are maintained at all times.”

Abergavenny-based Alun Griffiths, which works on a large number of rail projects, has started to use IAM RoadSmart’s Virtual Risk Manager programme this week, initially to senior managers before being rolled out to the entire rail division.

Tony, who is health, safety, environmental and quality manager for Alun Griffiths explained: “In my job I have to assess risk, and we have many drivers who work early and late shifts and are on the roads at unusual hours. It was important for the company to ensure those journeys are made in the safest way possible.”

He said: “Both the emotional and financial costs to families, businesses and the wider community of an accident are catastrophic. We, as a responsible employer have clear legislative duties to manage occupational road risk in the same way as we manage other health and safety risks to ensure that our people are not hurt in any way.”

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