COMPANIES are increasingly getting the message that work-related road safety is an essential part of the business, with more and more fleets signing up to risk management schemes.

According to Charles Davis, RoSPA head of driver and fleet solutions: ‘The argument now seems to have been accepted that this is the biggest occupational safety problem which the country is facing.’

He added that more and more responsible employers were adopting a system of auditing, management training and risk assessment, followed by driver training where necessary.

RoSPA’s well-established risk business has grown by 45% in the last year, and there have been numerous new launches into the market to capitalise on the boom.

But fleets should not just accept that choosing one of the dozens of risk management packages will bring instant positive results. A spokesman for fleet operators’ association Acfo said: ‘We know from input from membership that fleets do take these matters seriously. However it is clear that this cannot be in any way a ‘fit and forget’ option.

‘Effective management of on-road risk needs powerful internal decisions about the specific risks faced by any one fleet followed by the most appropriate and relevant actions to address any issues that come out of this assessment. Simply buying a risk assessment package off-the-shelf might put a tick in the box but may not offer the practical, operational or legal protection expected.

‘You can outsource the process of managing risk but not the responsibility.’

Davis added: ‘The bottom line is that by managing occupational road risk firms are protecting their number one asset – their employees.’