EMPLOYERS: TIME TO WAKE UP TO DRIVER FATIGUE
Dr. Alan Black, Director of Blackwell Associates
“Don’t sleep on the job” is a phrase often used when it comes to engagement inside the workplace. The same rule applies to employees who are required to drive as part of their employment and indeed to all other occasions when behind the wheel.
Considering that driver fatigue accounts for as much as 20% of all road accidents in the UK - which are twice as likely to result in death due to reduced reaction time and concentration levels - the issue of driving while drowsy poses a huge risk to businesses.
The fact is, an incredible 40% of sleep-related accidents involve commercial vehicles. This can be largely attributed to various factors such as stress and anxiety or long working hours.
Whether or not you are a professional LGV or PSV driver, or simply working remotely, all employers have a moral and legal obligation to ensure you are fit to drive before you sit behind the wheel.
To help prevent driver fatigue, employers should consider the following:
Pre-employment Health Assessments
Pre-employment health questionnaires are designed to identify factors which may influence an employee’s driving performance. This can range from pre-existing medical conditions to lifestyle choices such as alcohol consumption and sleeping patterns.
In relation to driving for employment purposes, the assessment should ideally be carried out by a qualified occupational health professional and adhere to patient confidentiality and data protection law.
If a risk is identified, HR should refer the employee to an occupational health doctor or nurse for further consultation.
An Open Communication policy
Like with all workplace issues, it is essential that employees feel assured that any health-related concern they report will be handled compassionately, professionally and confidentially by both HR and occupational health departments without compromising job security.
Without an open door policy, staff will fail to confide any health issues they may have for fear of losing their job or being treated differently.
A “driving for work” module within stress risk assessments
Employees who have experienced driver fatigue will often admit to feeling stressed prior to the event.
HR and occupational health departments should therefore collaborate to regularly assess and identify who is most at risk of experiencing work-related stress and use that to determine their fitness to drive.
Factors which often contribute to high levels of stress include long working hours, heavy workloads, stretched resources and ongoing personal issues. By assessing these factors, measures can be put in place to help ease the mental pressures posed on employees to reduce levels of stress and absenteeism in the workplace.
If you would like to know more about the occupational health services, training and consultancy Blackwell Associates provide, please call 028 9065 6131 or follow them on Twitter @BwellAssociates.
