Driving for work and van safety

This talk is about driving and riding for work, and about the van we load. HSE says that as an employer you must manage health and safety risks to workers who drive a vehicle, or ride a motorcycle or other powered two-wheeler or a bicycle, on the road as part of a work activity. Health and safety law applies to work activities on the road in the same way as it does on a fixed site. HSE's own line is that driving for work is one of the most dangerous things workers will do. I am using that as HSE states it. I have not turned it into a figure of my own.

The duty covers employees and anyone engaged to work for you, including limb (b) workers and self-employed people. It applies to company vehicles and to grey fleet. A grey fleet vehicle is owned and driven by a worker for business purposes. A vehicle under a cash allowance scheme is grey fleet too. Commuting to a normal place of work is not generally driving for work, and HSE says health and safety law does not apply to commuting. The exception HSE gives is where the journey starts from home and the person is travelling to a work location that is not their normal place of work. The run from the yard to a job, or from one job to the next, is this talk. The school run is not.

The risk assessment looks at three things: the journey, the driver or rider, and the vehicle. HSE's hazards include roadworks, traffic and congestion, vehicle condition, fatigue and distraction, time pressures, the weather, and the behaviour of other road users. Consider lone workers. A person in a van on their own is a lone worker under HSE's definition, someone who works by themselves without close or direct supervision. You also have to think about welfare: toilets, washing and somewhere to rest. Do not plan a day that only works if nobody stops.

Plan the journey before the key is in it. HSE says first consider whether the journey is necessary. Choose the safest route for the type of vehicle. HSE says motorways are the safest roads, and that minor roads can cause difficulties for larger vehicles. Avoid restrictions such as overhead bridges. Tunnels or level crossings may be dangerous for long vehicles. Plan routes with the people who drive them, including rest breaks and welfare. The Highway Code, as HSE quotes it on that page, recommends a 15-minute break every two hours. Avoid peak traffic where you can. Do not rely on the satnav alone. HSE says the map data may not be up to date, and that you should communicate with the sites people are visiting: parking, how to arrive and leave, and separating vehicles and people.

Time pressure is a control you choose. Calculate the journey so it can be driven within the speed limit, including traffic, lights and the sort of road. HSE says make sure the company way of working does not put drivers under pressure. Long journeys should be reduced where you can, including by combining the trip with another way of moving the goods. A day of quotes that only works if every leg is flat out is a bad plan. If the job slips, the drive does not make the time back.

The driver has duties too. HSE's worker page says take reasonable care of yourself and of other people, for example do not drive tired, and tell your employer if you are taking medication that may affect your ability to drive. Cooperate with training. Use a vehicle you are given in line with that training, and tell the person who provided it if it is damaged. Carry out the checks required so the vehicle is safe, serviced, insured and has a valid MOT. If you are concerned, talk to your employer, a manager, or a health and safety representative. HSE's induction list for drivers includes breaks and rest, daily safety checks, safe use of mobile phones and apps, and what to do about violence or assault. A phone in the hand is not the check-in from the lone-working talk. Pull over.

The vehicle has to be safe and stay safe. HSE says have a clear policy that unsafe vehicles are not driven. Use seatbelts when the law requires them. Do not overload, which HSE says is particularly important for vans carrying a range of equipment. Have arrangements for securing loads. Workers carry out and record daily checks and take the action those checks show. Planned maintenance follows the manufacturer's recommendations. An MOT certificate only covers basic defects and does not guarantee the vehicle is safe. Inspect tyres and wipers and replace them when needed. Report defects and put them right promptly. Headboards and bulkheads should protect the driver and passengers, be fit for purpose, and be checked so they have not been damaged. Keep the cab tidy. Know the fire risk from a damaged battery if the van is electric or hybrid.

What is in the back has to stay there. HSE's securing-loads page says employers and dutyholders must make sure loads are safely anchored to the vehicle, and that the vehicle is strong enough to take the strain. A bag of plaster that can slide is not secured because the door is shut. Anchor points fixed only to wooden members are unlikely to be strong enough. If the load can move, we re-do it before we leave.

Arriving on site is a different set of rules, and it is still this morning's drive. HSE's construction traffic page says the need for vehicles to reverse should be avoided where possible, because reversing is a major cause of fatal accidents. One-way systems and a turning circle reduce it. If vehicles reverse where pedestrians cannot be kept out, think about mirrors, cameras or reversing alarms, a trained marshaller, lighting, and high-visibility clothing. People who direct vehicles must be trained and authorised. Untrained people do not move plant because the key was in it. Everyone, including visitors, needs to know the routes. Today: is this journey needed, is the van legal and checked, is the load secured, and have we allowed the time the road will actually take?