Transportation Risks
Road Safety
When employees use vehicles for work, the vehicle is considered a workplace. Employers must ensure the vehicle is safe and free from health risks. This includes any use of the vehicle for work purposes. Employees can be killed or injured in road transport crashes. Some common hazards associated with work-related driving includes:
- Speeding
- Drugs and alcohol
- Fatigue: Driving while tired, leading to slower reaction times
- Mobile phone and technology use
- Adverse conditions: Driving in bad weather, poor visibility, or hazardous road conditions
- In-vehicle distractions: eating, adjusting controls, or other activities that take attention away from driving.
Understanding and addressing these hazards is crucial to ensuring road safety for employees.
Public transportation safety
- The public transportation industry involves transporting freight by road and operating buses and taxis to transport passengers. This industry is known for its significant risks and hazards.
As a person conducting a business or undertaking, you have a duty to keep your workers safe from the risks associated with road transport. These include:
Vehicle maintenance: regularly inspecting and maintaining all vehicles - Driver training: providing thorough training on safe driving practices
- Fatigue management: Implementing policies to manage driving fatigue and ensure adequate rest
- Speed control: enforcing speed limits and safe driving practices
- Substance use: prohibiting the use of drugs and alcohol while driving
- Weather conditions: preparing drivers for adverse weather conditions and ensuring they have necessary equipment
- Distraction minimisation: reducing in-vehicle distractions such as mobile phone use and other electronic devices.
