The Seashell Trust have become the first charity to join the government at-work driving safety campaign delivered by Roadsafe.
The first charity has joined the Government-backed ‘Driving for Better Business’ campaign, which is delivered by RoadSafe.
Hopes are now high that the involvement by the Greater Manchester-based Seashell Trust in the campaign will lead to more charities implementing robust occupational road risk management policies and procedures, particularly in respect of ‘grey’ fleet vehicles - privately-owned cars driven on work-related journeys.
There are now almost 40 ‘business champions’, which are used by the campaign to promote the financial, legal and moral reasons for organisations across the public and private sectors to invest in at-work driving safety.
With an estimated up to 200 road deaths and serious injuries a week resulting from crashes involving at work drivers, and more employees killed and seriously injured on Britain’s roads while driving on behalf of their employer than in any other work-related activity, the campaign aims to cut the carnage.
While the Seashell Trust, which until last year was known as The Royal School for the Deaf and Communication Disorders, only has a small fleet embracing three minibuses, two people carriers and two delivery vans approximately 75 privately-owned vehicles are driven on business trips.
Across the country thousands of employees and community-spirited volunteers drive their own cars on business trips on behalf of a wide range of charities. But it is believed that many charitable organisations have yet to implement similar cutting-edge safe-driving policies to those introduced by the Seashell Trust, which include driver risk assessments, completion of a pre-journey vehicle health and safety checklist and a risk assessment of the journey being undertaken.
Maximum compliance with the ever-growing list of laws, regulations and protocols governing occupational road risk management was the driving force behind the charity’s decision to bring transport within the charity’s overall health and safety management focus.
The charity’s occupational road risk management focus is being championed by recently appointed chief executive Mark Geraghty and is being managed by activities co-ordinator Alan Hills.
Mr Geraghty said: “The Seashell Trust and its members of staff have an extremely good work-related road safety record. The Trust’s work-related road safety activity and good safety record has enabled insurance premiums to reduce. Our aspiration is to ensure that this is maintained.
“However, a significant proportion of the transport support comes from the use by members of staff of their privately owned vehicles for business purposes for the Trust
“As a result of new legislation and specifically the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 we have developed and updated existing procedures with the involvement of our staff that voluntarily use their cars on work-related trips.”
Core to the launch of the safe-driving action plan has been the briefing of members of staff on the procedures to be followed for the ‘grey’ fleet and developing and improving these procedures with their assistance.
The new work-related road safety action plan includes driving risk assessments for each type of vehicle likely to be driven by members of staff including the seven ‘core’ fleet vehicles as well as their own car.
The assessments identify individual hazards and their effects; those affected; and the precautions or control measures to reduce the risks.
In addition, staff must complete a vehicle health and safety checklist prior to the commencement of each individual journey. The checklist ensures that all fleet vehicles driven by employees are scrutinised prior to use and any faults reported promptly to the maintenance department.
The checklist for private cars asks employees to confirm the registration details of their vehicle and mileage data prior to and at the conclusion of their journey. This enables the document to be tied in to the payment of mileage reimbursement claims.
In addition, the checklist requires members of staff using their private vehicle to confirm the status of their insurance in relation to business use, the roadworthiness of their vehicle, and the validity of their driving licence.
Finally, members of staff must complete a journey risk assessment prior to each individual trip. This document provides the information likely to be required in the event of a student being involved in a road traffic incident and ensures that the driver has all the relevant information relating to the condition and requirements of their passengers and that the journey has been appropriately authorised.
The journey risk assessment form also confirms business use insurance validity, the appropriate driving licence is held, and any MoT certificate is current.
Mr Geraghty said: “If these procedures are not followed, members of staff are not authorised to transport students in private vehicles.”
But, he added: “We have identified and put in place training requirements needed to support members of staff and have established an administrative system to support the process for checking and recording insurance, driving licences and MoT documentation.”
As part of the charity’s focus on safe driving all minibus drivers must have completed the nationally recognised Minibus Driver Assessment and Training Scheme (MIDAS). Certificates are renewed every four years, but can be revoked if the required standard of driving is not maintained at all times.
The Seashell Trust provides education and residential care for people with complex communication difficulties from across the UK. It operates a school for pupils and students from two to 19 years, a college which caters for learners who are 19 years and older and an adult residential home that can accommodate 12 people.
Students often have a combination of hearing, visual, behaviour and learning disabilities, including autism. Members of staff use their vehicle to provide access for the students to events such as personal shopping trips, medical appointments, visits to local authorities, and assessment routines.
Michael Parish, co-director of the ‘Driving for Better Business’ campaign, said: “There are thousands of small and large charities across the UK that are heavily reliant on the goodwill of both staff and volunteers in driving their own vehicles for business purposes.
“The policies and procedures implemented by the Seashell Trust are ones that we would recommend that all charities follow to ensure they have an auditable safe-driving strategy in place in the event of a vehicle being involved in a road crash. We live in an ever-increasing litigious society and safeguards, like those taken by the Trust, make sense.”
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