Many UK companies manage road risk “inconsistently and poorly” says safety manager

A safety manager has said many companies are managing the risks of drivers on company business “inconsistently and in some cases poorly” which is a risk to themselves and other road users.

Tony Ashford from civil engineering and construction contractor Alun Griffiths Contractors made an approach to leading independent road safety charity IAM RoadSmart. This was to put all 130 drivers within its rail division through a programme which will identify individual driver risk ratings then provide targeted learning modules and practical coaching.

He is so pleased with the product that following this successful programme the intention is to extend this proactive approach to all other divisions of Alun Griffiths, which would take in more than 500 additional drivers.

Driving for Better Business says that one-third of accidents on UK roads involve drivers on work duties (reference 1).

Commenting on the overall picture of road safety management by companies in the UK in the run up to Road Safety Week (21-27 November), he said: “Today’s working environment demands more and more from us all which, at times, can lead to inappropriate behaviours - use of hands-free mobile phones, exceeding the speed limit, driving for long periods without appropriate rest, inadequate training, fatigue and the like.

“Although, in the majority of cases, these are not deliberate violations people sometimes do the wrong things for what they feel are the right reasons -  it takes demonstrable leadership and discipline by all to ensure that the correct driving behaviours and awareness are  maintained at all times.”  

Abergavenny-based Alun Griffiths, which works on a large number of rail projects, has started to use IAM RoadSmart’s Virtual Risk Manager programme this week, initially to senior managers before being rolled out to the entire rail division.

Tony, who is health, safety, environmental and quality manager for Alun Griffiths explained: “In my job I have to assess risk, and we have many drivers who work early and late shifts and are on the roads at unusual hours. It was important for the company to ensure those journeys are made in the safest way possible.”

He said: “Both the emotional and financial costs to families, businesses and the wider community of an accident are catastrophic. We, as a responsible employer have clear legislative duties to manage occupational road risk in the same way as we manage other health and safety risks to ensure that our people are not hurt in any way.”

He added that Alun Griffiths’ involvement with IAM RoadSmart is a long term partnership with an aligned and ongoing vision to ensure the company provides a suitable risk management framework together with an effective learning platform that will provide the safest possible driving environment.

Tony said: “I approached IAM RoadSmart because of the great reputation it has in this area and how their aspirations align with our goals.”

In parallel with IAM RoadSmart’s learning modules, Alun Griffiths will be using telematics systems which will report back to line managers any minor collisions, scrapes or hard use.

Tony said: “Using the roads is a necessary part of our working lives. But it’s an ordinary activity that can lead to an unacceptable level of injury and fatalities. Our Greater Education and Awareness of Roadrisk (GEAR) programme consisting of identification, instruction, early management intervention and education. This will provide our drivers with the tools and support to ensure that they are as best prepared as they can be, reducing the probability of being involved in a Road Traffic Collision to its lowest level.

We care about our people and improving the safety of working environment is a key function of the Alun Griffiths Rail management team.”

Lesley Upham, commercial director at IAM RoadSmart welcomes Tony’s proactive approach to reducing the risk to his drivers.

She said: “For a company like Alun Griffiths safety is a fundamental part of everyday business and it is great to see this initiative is being led from the front with senior managers undertaking the first set of assessment and training.”

For more information about IAM RoadSmart products for business use visit: https://www.iamroadsmart.com/iam-business/overview

ENDS

Notes to editors

Reference 1: http://www.drivingforbetterbusiness.com/why.aspx

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IAM RoadSmart has a mission to make better drivers and riders in order to improve road safety, inspire confidence and make driving and riding enjoyable. It does this through a range of courses for all road users, from online assessments through to the advanced driving and riding tests. IAM RoadSmart is the trading name of all businesses operated by the UK’s largest road safety charity, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and was formed in April 2016 combining the IAM, IAM Drive & Survive, PDS and IAM Driver Retraining Academy. The organisation has 92,000 members and campaigns on road safety on their behalf. At any one time there are over 7,000 drivers and riders actively engaged with IAM RoadSmart’s courses, from members of the public to company drivers, while our Driver Retraining Academy has helped 2,500 drivers to shorten their bans through education and support programmes.

To find out more about IAM RoadSmart products and services visit the new website www.iamroadsmart.com         

To find out the name of your own local IAM RoadSmart group please visit: https://wwwiamroadsmart.com/local-groups      

ENDS ALL