The idea follows revelations from the HSE that it has no resources earmarked for fleet safety in its current budget, which extends to 2004, and that investing in fleet safety would mean removing funds from other safety campaigns.
The fleet best practice programme is one of a number of options being considered by an HSE task force working on a response to recommendations made by the Work-related Road Safety Task Group. In May, the HSE will present the Health and Safety Commission with a list of options based on the recommendations of the WRRSTG report.
Brian Etheridge, head of the HSE's gas and transport safety policy division, said: 'We are saying to fleets that we are looking to them because they are experts on the issues they face.
'One of the options we have is asking the industry what contribution it can make. The responsibility remains quite clearly with employers.
'There are a lot of ways to improve safety without resorting to enforcement, as this would impose quite a significant burden on the HSE.'
The request for fleets to provide examples of best practice comes more than a year after the Work-related Road Safety Task Group first called for fleets to help reduce accidents.
The growing delay has sparked claims the Government lacks commitment to tackle the key issues the report has raised.
Etheridge said: 'We are looking to work closely with industry on this and provide a list of options to the HSC in May.'
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