Are all your Workplace Vehicles Safe?

Are all your workplace Cars, Vans, Pickup Trucks, SUVs and all other vehicles safe? Did you know all vehicles in a workplace are required to be Inspected, not just commercial vehicles? Even an Employees own vehicle, if used for business, must be safe to use.

Why?

Federal, Provincial and State laws require that you may not drive a vehicle unless you are satisfied that it is in a safe operating condition. It is the Employers responsibility to ensure all vehicles and equipment used by an Employee are in safe working condition. Vehicles owned, leased or rented by the Employer must be safe for use on and off the roads, this includes on your company work site/ job site. There is NO Excuse for allowing Employees to operate a Vehicle with defects, even if it is not considered a Commercial Road Vehicle. As well, an Employee that uses their own Vehicle for sales, deliveries, bank deposits, etc. must ensure it is safe to use. If they have an accident while conducting your business it will be considered a workplace incident.

Commercial Transportation regulations may not apply to these Vehicles in the same way as a Tractor Trailer, but they still must be maintained and in safe working condition for your Employee's safety, as well as others.

More and more companies across North America are realizing the importance of Inspecting all their corporate vehicles 

A properly maintained and fully functioning vehicle meeting all safety requirements is less likely to be involved in a road accident.

Here are a few motor vehicle incident statistics

- Every 12 minutes someone dies in a motor vehicle crash

- Every 10 seconds an injury occurs

- Every 5 seconds a crash occurs

Many of these incidents occur during the workday or during the commute to and from work.

Employers bear the brunt of the cost for injuries that occur both on and off the job. Whether you manage a fleet of vehicles, a sales force, or simply employ commuters, by implementing a driver safety program in the workplace which includes Daily Inspections of the vehicle, you can greatly reduce the risks faced by your employees and their families while protecting your company's bottom line.

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death and injury for all ages. Crashes on and off the job have far-reaching financial and psychological effects on employees, their coworkers, families, and their employers. 

According to statistics from various government and other sources in North America, motor vehicle collisions and incidents can account for on average of 30-39% of all worker fatalities. Drivers, sales people and truck drivers are the subgroup with the highest number of fatal work injuries within the transportation and material moving group.

10% of all motor vehicle accident victims become disabled.

19% of motor vehicle injuries are covered by workers compensation insurance according to Insurance Council research.