As the lockdown is relaxed and your staff return to work, what are your responsibilities as a manager or business owner?
Firstly, how long have your staff been away? How long have their vehicles been stationary, are normal pre-drive checks adequate or do they need a thorough check, can you expect the tyre pressure to have dropped? Are the brakes binding, all things that can increase fuel use.
With Covid-19 still an issue, do you need to train your staff in sanitizing their vehicles, especially if one or more drivers use the vehicle, good hygiene is critical for all workers, including those on the road.
Supplies of hand gel, clinical wipes and masks could now be the normal for PPE.
Driving for better business has more advice https://www.drivingforbetterbusiness.com/coronavirus-driver-hygiene-essential/.
We have looked at the vehicles, but what about the drivers, your staff, have they been off for five to six weeks? Have they been at home all that time or out on the road? With the roads empty many drivers have ignored speed limits, many of these have been caught at excessive speeds by our police forces, were any of these a driver of yours? Have they been summoned to court, and have received penalty points or a ban? Have they told you? The only way you can be sure is if you carry out a licence check, remember it’s you that has the duty of care to ensure staff do not put themselves or members of the public at risk from work place activities. Yes that includes driving.
Check your drivers' licence here https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence
