Occupational road safety management for SMEs and the self-employed
Story by Dmitry Sambuk at the Easst Academy.
Road risk is not just a concern for big companies with large fleets. Nor is it just a concern for governments and local authorities. Any person can be at risk on the road. And any vehicle can pose a risk to others. Occupational road safety management is therefore vital to any business no matter how large or small.
SMEs and people who are self-employed, especially, can be more vulnerable when it comes to work-related road risk. The costs of a road crash at work are likely to hit the bottom-line hard. At the same time, heightened pressure to make a business succeed can result in more risky road behaviour. Working longer hours. Driving longer distances. Even pushing higher speeds.
So where do you find the balance and how do you manage this risk?
The answer lies in an effective occupational road safety management policy.
For any company operating any type of vehicle, this is essential. Nevertheless, it remains the case that many SMEs and self-employed businesses do not include road risk in their company risk assessments.
1 in 3 road traffic crashes are work-related. In 2016 this resulted in around 60,000 casualties in the UK. It is estimated that road crashes cost businesses in the UK £2.7 billion every year.
How might a road crash affect your business? What would happen if you or your only driver were signed off work as a result of a road traffic collision? Not only would you have to pay any repair costs to your vehicle (and lose out on your no-crash insurance premium), you may also lose out on business as a result and damage your company’s reputation.
Our Road Safety at Work: Online Course for Managers is affordable, accessible and perfect for small businesses.
