Managing the risks

While employers cannot exercise the same control over hazards to employees when they are driving or riding on the road as in the workplace, there are practical steps they should take to reduce the risks.

Work-related road safety can only be effectively controlled if it is integrated into arrangements for managing health and safety at work. For example, an employer should take account of the total number of hours worked, and not just the number of hours spent at the wheel, when planning driving schedules.

The risk section of the HSE website contains practical advice on how to carry out a risk assessment and links to helpful free publications.

There are also many business benefits in managing work-related road safety, no matter how large or small your business is. For example:

• fewer days lost due to injury;
• fewer vehicles off the road for repair;
• fewer missed orders;
• reduced need for investigation and follow up.