Driving as profession can be risk-intensive work; the risk of suffering an accident is ever-present, while the purposes of the trip themselves present risk dependent on the industry in question. If you are a business with a fleet of vehicles, whether working in a trade or within logistics, your driving staff will face these risks on a daily basis. What should you be considering to reduce risks and ensure the safety of your fleet?
Training
Training is one of the most effective ways to ensure the safety of your staff when using fleet vehicles, and to ensure the longevity of individual vehicles within your fleet. Training should be wide-ranging and comprehensive, from the safe handling of heavy goods to best practice for vehicle handling.
For larger goods vehicles, fleet driver training is a must to guarantee that all operators are on the same page. Training can also help reinforce the various health and safety procedures that ensure vehicle treatment is safe and regulated.
Personal Protective Equipment
Next, you should ensure that all fleet drivers are provided with the correct PPE for their role. Consulting with PPE suppliers can help you understand your business’ specific PPE needs, whether heavy-duty gloves for the safe handling of heavy materials or face masks for protection from irritants.
It is important to note that the provision of PPE is a legal requirement of any business, and should be paid close attention to make sure your staff are adequately provided for. PPE also goes hand-in-hand with training, where your staff can be shown best practice for PPE usage when handling materials. In the unfortunate event of a car accident, having the support of a reputable car accident lawyer San Diego is essential.
Vehicle Equipment
The provision of protective and preventive equipment also extends to the vehicles themselves. Your fleet should be equipped with a number of tools and devices to ensure they remain safe, and that their drivers remain safe when using them.
In equipping your fleet for safety on the road, you should start with basic provisions for emergencies. A spare tyre and the tools to install it should be included, as should a reflective warning triangle to alert other drivers to a broken-down fleet vehicle.
For regular driver use, a sat-nav should be provided. With the right system, the sat-nav can also double as a GPS tracker, enabling the business to follow its vehicles and identify their location quickly by using tracking equipment.
For fleet vehicles within logistics and delivery, adequate tools and equipment for safe lifting should also be provided. Each van in your fleet should have a hand truck for moving heavy objects, and bungee cord for safely tying objects down.
Accident Reporting
A key part of any proactive fleet management programme is the provision for accident reporting. Each vehicle should have its own log book for tracking scheduled maintenance and activity, but there should also be a central logbook for accident reporting.
Here, staff can alert the business to incidents and their causes, enabling the business to track statistics long-term while effecting repairs and necessary changes in the short term.
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