SALES managers at Permabond have been told by their bosses they would rather have them alive than clocking up more than 15 calls a day. The Hampshire-based company has laid down rules for its sales managers and drivers, which includes restricting them to a combined working and driving total of no more than 12 hours a day in a bid to reduce the number of accidents caused by driver fatigue.

Andy Price, Permabond's market segment manager, who has won the Fleet News Risk Management Award for its Drivesafe initiative for the last two years, said drivers appeared to be responding well to the guidelines.

'Sales managers often demand that a certain amount of calls are made per day, which could mean travelling for long hours all over the country. Our managers are told that we would rather have them alive than doing 15 or more calls a day and so we offer them help in a number of ways. We encourage them to seek alternative ways of making appointments, either through video conferencing or getting there on a plane or by train.

'But if they do need to drive, we help them plan their day by putting their calls in the right order so they are not zigzagging across the country. Our drivers are also encouraged to take breaks every two to three hours, which works well because it allows them to pick up messages from their mobiles as they are not allowed to use telephones in the car.'

He added: 'All these things help to reduce the risk of fatigue. But if it should happen, we always tell our drivers that if they cannot continue driving at any point, no matter how close they are to their destination, they are to stop and book into a hotel at the company's expense.

'Obviously, we are never going to stop accidents happening - what we are trying to do is to minimise the chances of having a crash while on company business.'