When humans interact with machines, there is a need to have safety measures in place. What are some of the hazards with the potential to cause incidents? Do you know what they are? Are there any risk control measures in place?

As a Fleet Manager, your primary job is to ensure your staff is safe by mitigating incidents through an aggressive pre-accident investigation program that includes risk assessments. It is cheaper to prevent incidents than to manage them after they happen.

According to the CDC in the United States, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of work-related deaths in every major industry group. Since most accidents occur off the job rather than on the job, a Fleet Manager must always keep driver safety in mind. A Fleet Manager should consider the following hazard categories:

·     The driver

·     The journey

·     The vehicle

Assessing Risks

As said previously, there must be a systemic risk assessment approach concerning potential hazards. Below are some examples of possible fleet-related hazards

Driver

Does not follow company’s safe driving policy and procedures

Talks and texts on a handheld device while behind the wheel

Does not wear a seatbelt and does not require a passenger to wear a seatbelt

Journey

Congested traffic could mean increased stress and a greater risk of aggressive driving.

Poor trip scheduling

Driver not familiar with the route or alternate route

Vehicle

Vehicle component failure because the vehicle was not properly maintained

The vehicle is not designed or configured for the purposes for which it is used

Vehicle not equipped with emergency/first aid supplies

To assess these risks, a Fleet Manager should consider a combination of the likelihood of occurrence of the hazard and the consequences of that hazardous event occurring. The following steps should be taken to complete the risk assessment:

·     Identify the hazard

·     Estimate the risk

·     Evaluate the risk

·     Record findings

·     Review findings

Implementing risk assessment as part of your pre-accident investigation program will ensure you control risks before they occur, giving your business a significant advantage. You can also use your accident prevention program as a negotiating tool to reduce your insurance premiums as your company records fewer incidents each year.

Accidents can be costly without considering their psychological effects on your workforce. There’s a famous saying that “prevention is always better than cure.” A Fleet Manager must focus on preventing accidents before they happen.

Do you have a robust fleet management system? It’s okay if you don’t have one yet. Learn more about how we can help improve your fleet operations, save lives, and reduce costs. Please send us an email or call us.

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