When managing a mobile workforce, risk can seemingly come from all angles. As a person conducting business or undertaking (PCBU), thoroughly making sure of employee safety can be an intimidating prospect. And, it can feel overwhelming to action risk awareness within a company that's set in its ways. But keeping tabs on risk is achievable- as long as you know which areas to focus on.

In this blog, we discuss 3 key areas you need to pay attention to, in order to reduce risk across your mobile fleet. With awareness of these things, you'll stand a solid chance of meeting all your obligations as a PCBU and seeing that risks are kept to a minimum.

Want to learn more about managing Health & Safety risk in a mobile workforce as a PCBU? Check out our free guide here.

1.) Are you providing drivers with flexible, continuous training?

Driving is perhaps the highest-risk activity undertaken by your company on a daily basis. Your drivers should be exceptionally trained to reduce their personal risk on the road. Trained drivers, in addition, are much better poised to take ownership of their stake in your company's H&S compliance.

For one, drivers need to know that they, too, are accountable to H&S law. Because fleet vehicles are recognised as workplaces, drivers must adopt a heightened concern for their own behaviour behind the wheel, and constant attention to their vehicles' performance in the event that servicing is needed.

Also, drivers should not only be experts in the rules of the road, but should have sharp awareness of defensive driving practices. Since the law mandates PCBUs to provide drivers with information and training, any programme must be comprehensive, detailed, and able to evolve with changing laws, road rules, and driving needs (such as specific routes) unique to your company.

• Do drivers know best practices for navigating busy roadways and intersections?
• Can drivers recognise impaired or distracted motorists, or those who exhibit road rage?
• Are drivers skilled enough to manoeuvre out of trouble spots to avoid accidents?
• Are drivers absolutely committed to drug and alcohol avoidance (and do they maintain a clean record)?
• When drivers notice vehicle faults, do they know your company policy on filing reports?

All of the above can be addressed through responsive driver training and an exhaustive fleet policy that sets clear expectations. 

2.) Are you keeping record of all driver incidents and ongoing risk?

Part of risk assessment is having constant insight into the level of risk each driver presents, as well as full clarity on any incidents that occur on the road. Additionally, for compliance purposes, you should consistently check up on vehicle servicing needs as soon as they arise.

To get ahead of this, your company should have a complete policy guiding vehicle selection and deployment, in accordance with H&S regulations. When choosing fleet vehicles, you should run through a checklist of important features and keep a record of vehicle stats, such as:

• Fitness for work,
• ANCAP safety ratings,
• Servicing and maintenance history,
• Driver licensing,
• ...and any other details related to the vehicle's service life.
  
  

Visibility here helps guarantee that you're not admitting risky vehicles into the fleet, exposing drivers to safety hazards and your company to legal hassles. And generally, continued oversight of individual drivers and vehicle conditions will help nip problems in the bud before they turn into devastating incidents.

3.) Do you have the proper insurance?

Zero-incident fleets don't exist in the real world. Fleet risk assessment, done well, will always involve having the right corporate insurance.

Comprehensive insurance is needed for maintaining a compliant mobile workforce, and given the very wide array of insurance options, it's crucial to find the proper balance of exposure vs premium, with cover that's matched to your company's unique vulnerabilities.

Aside from looking at comprehensive insurance that covers all bases, review the specifics of your fleet operations to determine what you need out of a policy. For example, do you use rental cars? Do you utilise a 'grey fleet', consisting of drivers using their personal vehicles for work? Any peculiar aspects of your mobile business should be brought to bear.

Also, what you do before buying a policy can help you negotiate proper cover at a great rate. A good measure is to have a fully-detailed corporate fleet policy that spells out how accident claims are processed, as well as a fleet risk management system that supports you with fresh oversight and clear reporting. Both will give your company the upper hand in scoring a cost-effective policy.

Getting ahead of fleet risk isn't simply a matter of 'ticking boxes' once. It demands consistent review and practice.

By training drivers regularly and reminding them of risk, ensuring deep, constant visibility into driver risk and vehicle servicing needs, picking insurance that serves the unique quirks of your business - and generally, staying vigilant in the right areas of concern - you'll have the fleet risk data you need at your fingertips. And then, you'll be able to minimise or eliminate those risks, one by one.