L ET’ S TA LK S A FE TY This column addresses safety issues of interest to water and wastewater personnel, and will appear monthly in the magazine. The Journal is also interested in receiving any articles on the subject of safety that it can share with readers in the “Spotlight on Safety” column.
Driving Home the Seriousness of Company Vehicle Safety
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ike so many occupational safety issues, many car accidents are preventable. If you play a role in your company’s commitment to safety, you can take simple steps to reinforce company vehicle safety. It’s about much more than the bottom line— you just might save a life. When your employees are operating a company fleet vehicle or driving on official business, it can open the door to potential safety incidents and legal liability. Like any other skill, safe driving is something you must practice and hone as the roads become more crowded and distractions can come from anywhere. If you want to protect your company, your vehicles, and—most importantly—your employees, you should routinely communicate your company vehicle safety procedures. Also, take every opportunity to share relevant data and lessons learned so they can understand and avoid repeating others’ mistakes.
The Company Vehicle Safety Training Your Employees Need Before you begin working with your employees on safe driving practices, you first need to gather empirical data on the kind of driving conditions they face on a regular basis. Through interviews, surveys, and safety incident reports
and near misses, you can decide if you need to focus on some or all the following: S Distracted driving S Operating a vehicle in difficult weather conditions S Driving long distances for business S Product transport and delivery S The differences between rural and city driving S Traveling through areas where crime is a concern S The size of the vehicle being operated Each of these subjects requires specific training, clearly defined rules, and regulations. Meet with your driving employees regularly to give them a refresher and update them on new developments.
Day One Information for New Employees Your vehicle safety team should compile a standard checklist that will be applied uniformly to all new employees. Here are some helpful additions to that list: S What training must be provided before someone can drive a company car? S Does an employee need to acquire a new type of license, depending on the type of vehicle? S How does the employee driving a company vehicle impact the company’s policy on
substance use? As times and laws change, you must update your policy to weigh in on the use of substances that may now be legal. As the employer, you must also do your due diligence: S Complete a driving background check of any employee who might be driving on company business. S Secure photocopies of each new worker’s driver’s license and insurance (verifying that both are current). It’s wise to make a calendar reminder in each employee’s file when their driver’s license is set to expire so you can follow up and ensure they have renewed it on time. As part of their initial onboarding: S P rovide employees with a copy of the company vehicle policy as part of the employee handbook. S Ensure potential consequences for breaking the policies are understood. S Have all employees sign and date a form confirming they read and will abide by the policy.
What’s At Stake When it Comes to Company Vehicle Safety
Inform your employees that a single moment
The 2020 Let’s Talk Safety is available from AWWA; visit www.awwa.org or call 800.926.7337. Get 40 percent off the list price or 10 percent off the member price by using promo code SAFETY20. The code is good for the 2020 Let’s Talk Safety book, dual disc set, and book + CD set.
20 May 2021 • Florida Water Resources Journal
