INTRODUCTION

The organisation must outline its policy regarding safety and transportation. In addition to its responsibility to provide a safe working environment for its employees, the organisation’s duty of care responsibility extends to ensuring that the company (even where the transport activity is outsourced) and/or its employees’ actions do not negatively impact on the larger community.

To address this responsibility the company must define a set of requirements to ensure that any risk from its transport activities is identified and mitigated through an actively managed management system.

USE OF VEHICLES

It is important that the company’s transport tasks are adequately managed. This extends from employees using company vehicles, rental vehicles, their own vehicle or where the transport task is outsourced.

OUTSOURCED TRANSPORT ACTIVITIES

This is an area posing some difficulty. Where does the duty of care, chain of responsibility and fatigue management begin and end.

Is there a need to check the risk management systems of Australia Post when you ask them to deliver small packages on your behalf? Does it start when you hire an independent transport company to take care of your deliveries? Does weight or size figure in determining when your responsibility starts or ends.

There is no easy answer to this question, however your risk analysis in choosing suppliers will give an indication as to the level of detail you would request from a potential supplier.

COMPANY SUPPLIED AND EMPLOYEE OWNED VEHICLES

For company supplied, Novated lease and employee owned vehicles the organisation needs to ensure that employees, or their partners and family where authorised, do not exceed speed limits and comply with road traffic laws.

It is even more important that we drive at speeds that are safe for the conditions, recognising that such speed will often be below the posted speed limit.

If vehicles belonging to staff members or rental vehicles are used, such vehicles should, in principle, be of at least the same standard as company vehicles.

SETTING MINIMUM EQUIPMENT AND BEHAVIOR LEVELS

A policy for vehicle purchases as set out below should be followed in order to maximise safety and minimise environmental impact at the lowest possible cost and without causing negative impact on effective operations.

Engine size and vehicle types:

• No high performance, turbo charged or super charged engines;
• No V8 or larger engine configurations;
• Unless required for operational purposes there will be no sports utility vehicles, utes, vans or off-road vehicles;
• Most fuel-efficient engine option (smallest engine) for the vehicle chosen.

Mandatory requirements, passive safety:

• A minimum of a 4 star rating in NCAP tests;
• Dual front airbags;
• Side airbags, at least in the front seat, plus head protection (separate or integrated)
• Three point seat belts for all positions, with pretensioners at least in the front seats.
• Head restraints for all seating positions, with the ability to adjust to an appropriate position for at least for four occupants.
• If the car is a station wagon or hatchback there should be a cargo barrier installed.

An employee should always have the right to rent a car for safety reasons, rather than using their own, possibly less safe car. Rental cars should, in principle, be of at least the same standard as company vehicles.

DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS

All vehicles performing or acting on behalf of the company will employ DRL’s where headlights are illuminated, on low beam, during the day making vehicles more visible.

VEHICLE SAFETY ASSISTANCE SYSTEMS

These are systems which are designed to assist stability and manoeuvrability, thus preventing loss of control in severe manoeuvring, braking and/or adverse weather conditions.

The company should therefore have a vehicle replacement policy where it will consider the purchase and use of vehicles having following safety systems.

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

Where available ESC will be considered as standard equipment for all company supplied or financed vehicles and all vehicles undertaking company business. Where such systems are available they must not be intentionally disengaged.

ANTI-LOCK BRAKING (ABS)

ABS must be standard on all company supplied or financed vehicles and all vehicles undertaking company business.

TRACTION CONTROL

Where available, Traction Control will be considered as standard equipment and included in all vehicle acquisitions. Where such systems are available they shall not be intentionally disengaged.

AIRBAGS

Vehicles that do not have driver and passenger airbags will not be used on company business. Side (curtain or head and trunk) airbags, which offer significant occupant protection, will be specified on new vehicle acquisitions. Where not available on the first choice of vehicle, a case must be made and submitted to management for authorisation to deviate from this policy.

LANE DEPARTURE WARNING

Where Lane departure warning is available it should be considered as standard fixture.

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS

While there is a legal alcohol consumption limit (BAC) for fully licensed drivers, studies have found that consuming even moderate amounts of alcohol impacts on the skills necessary for driving. It is therefore important that when employees are driving company vehicles, driving on company business or when approved families members are in charge of a company vehicle alcohol should not be consumed.

Furthermore, taking of alcohol in conjunction with other drugs is known to increase the risk of an incident. The taking of illicit or illegal drugs is to be strictly prohibited and will result in termination of employment.

Care should also be taken when driving under the influence of prescribed medications as many can affect alertness for driving.

BRAKE ASSIST

Where brake assist systems are available it should be considered as mandatory equipment.

REVERSING SENSORS

Where available reversing sensors and/or camera will be considered as standard equipment and included in all vehicle acquisitions.

DRIVER DISTRACTION- MOBILE PHONES

The use of handheld mobile phones when driving is illegal and in no circumstances should this be done.

Employees who are ticketed for this behaviour will face disciplinary action by the company that could result in the loss of the company supplied vehicle and/or termination of employment.

Studies show that the use of mobile phones when driving, including hands free, cause driver distraction, therefore no mobile phone activity should be undertaken, either in voice or text mode, whilst driving.

Driver distraction is attributed to more than mobile phone use; changing radio channels or music discs can be just as dangerous. Any action that takes the driver’s eyes or concentration off the road has the potential to cause an incident. Such actions by the driver should be avoided at all times when the vehicle is in motion.