Policy
The organisation’s fleet safety policy needs to be written to influence all of its activities to improve fleet safety, including organisational design, selection of people and drivers, vehicles and equipment, and the way that driving work is carried out and managed to provide continuing high safety performance.
An organisation might not have a specific fleet safety policy, however, there are usually a number of documents which reference the way in which the organisation requires its staff to use and operate vehicles. A specific fleet safety policy may be distilled from these documents and will be supported by the outcome of the situational evaluation and risk/hazard management review.
By having a written statement of the organisation’s fleet safety policy and clear plans and targets for implementing and monitoring the policy, both staff and contractors are provided with a clear understanding that hazards have been identified and risks assessed, controlled or eliminated.
What follows is a sample Policy Statement for illustrative purposes:
A policy statement cannot stand alone, however, and must be supported by appropriate documentation and links to other policies the organisation has that relate to fleet and driving safety. This should include human resources or employment policies such as contracts of employment, codes of conduct, drugs and alcohol policies, and health & safety requirements. All aspects of the fleet management system need to be managed through written documentation which is kept in a unified system or library. This will help to ensure a common approach across the organisation and simplify the process for reviewing and updating policies and procedures.
