Safety News Letter April 08

Welcome to this months safety newsletter. The idea of these newsletters is to raise safety awareness and get you involved. Health & Safety legisl! ation now requires employers to address the risks associated with work related vehicle use. In order to help reduce the road risks, prevent accidents and save lives this month's newsletter is about road safety

Hazards Identified (something with the potential to cause harm)
Equipment: the vehicle’s suitability; it’s condition and it’s maintenance regime. Environmental: adverse weather conditions such as rain, snow and wind. Journey: routes (use of minor and major roads); scheduling (travelling at peak traffic times). Human Factors: the driver; their fitness, health; training and competence; their experience; their attitude to driving, road safety and speed; drink and drugs; fatigue.

Who may be harmed?
The driver and passengers plus other road users including pedestrians are at risk.

Recommended control measures (these are the things that you can do):

The vehicle
A vehicle must be fit for purpose, maintained; insured and holding a valid MOT. Check for defects before use: tyre wear, lights, and damage to the windscreen. Where a driver considers a vehicle to be unsafe it needs to be repaired immediately

Remember:
P
O
W
E
R
Petrol
Oil
Water
Electrics
Rubber (tyres, wipers)

The journey
Plan your route: motorways are the safest roads. Where possible, travelling at periods of peak traffic flow should be avoided. Journey times should take into account road types and road conditions

The environment
Drivers are to assess driving conditions and adjust accordingly. Journey times and routes should be rescheduled to take account of adverse weather. Check and take head of weather warnings before commencing a journey.

The driver
Drivers need to be fit to drive. Check any medication which might affect your driving. Drivers need to be competent. Driving licences must be valid. The driving licence must cover the vehicle to be driven. Good eyesight is vital for safe driving: your eyesight needs to be checked on a regular basis. If they are prescribed wear them. Drivers are required to be able to read a standard number plate at a distance of 20.5 m (67 feet). Drivers should not drive when fatigued.

Speeding increases the risk of road accidents. Employees should never drive faster than road or driving conditions allow. All speed limits must be obeyed. Do not drink and drive; do not take drugs and drive.

Mobile phones
Using a hand-held mobile phone, or similar device, while driving is against the law. Where possible turn it off when driving; if you cannot do this use a hands free device. This law is in place to improve driver safety.

For more information check out your company's road safety policy