1. INTRODUCTION
Up to 1 in 3 road accidents involve a vehicle being driven for work, many of those are avoidable. As an employer Tingdene Group are committed to ensuring the safety of our employees as far as reasonably possible.
The following outlines a safe system of work for ‘Managing those who are authorised to drive vehicles on Company Business. This is an extension of the ‘Driving on Company Business Policy (DCBP)’ found in the employee handbook and both should be read in conjunction with each other.
2. Responsibilities
2.1
Directors
It is the responsibility of all Company Directors to ensure safe management systems are in place, maintained and inspected on a regular basis and that their managers adhere to any Policies and Procedures.
2.2
Managers
Managers (or their nominated deputy) where Company Vehicles are based, have overall responsibility for ensuring the eligibility, authorisation, managing drivers and vehicles process is adhered to.
2.3
Drivers
Authorised drivers’ main responsibilities include:
• Complying with the requirements set out in this safe system of work and the ‘Driving on Company Business Policy (DCBP)’.
• Ensure their vehicles are ‘fit for use’ conducting basic checks in accordance with the ‘Company Vehicle Check Log and legally roadworthy.’
• Reporting to their Line Manager any vehicle defects, breakdowns, accidents, or incidents with the Company Vehicle.
3. Application to Drive on Company Business
As per DCBP 47 all employees wishing to drive any vehicle on Company Business must complete and submit the ‘Application to Drive on Company Business form’ (see appendices).
To be eligible to apply to drive on Company business the employee must:
• Hold a full in date UK driving licence for the category of vehicle to be used;
• Be age 21 and over (25 or 30 years depending on vehicle type refer to insurance details);
• Have at least 2 years driving experience; and
• Not be disqualified from driving.
A Senior Manager or their designated deputy must review the ‘Application’ and verify the submitted driving licence details via the Gov.uk website (www.gov.uk/check-driving-information).
Where an employee has also applied to use their own vehicle on Company Business, the employee’s vehicle details must be verified. The employee’s vehicle must be legally compliant to be on the road and deemed suitable to be used on Company Business.
4. Driving Licence Checks
The employee must provide the ‘check code’ from the Gov.uk website (www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence) for their driving licence details to be verified by the Company via the Gov.uk website (www.gov.uk/check-driving-information). The check code is valid for 21 days but can only be used once.
The employee must submit their current UK driving licence with the application, a copy will be made and held on file. This process is to be repeated annually.
The licence must be in date and registered to their current home address. Note: photo ID licences are renewable every 10 years.
The licence category must cover the type of vehicle the employee is applying to drive on Company Business (including trailers). Category descriptions can be checked on the Gov.uk website.
5. Authorisation
No employee will be permitted to drive any vehicle on Company Business until written permission has been provided via the eligibility process.
Permission to drive a vehicle on Company Business remains at the discretion of Company Directors or those designated to provide authorisation on behalf of the Directors. It should never be assumed authorisation has been granted, and no employee should be granted authorisation to drive a Company Vehicle without the full application process being completed.
A Senior Manager or their designated deputy will confirm authorisation or refusal in writing once all checks have been completed.
Authorisation can be revoked at any time by the Company, should the Company driver be deemed to not be complying with the terms outlined in this and the ‘Driving on Company Business Policies’.
6. Company Driver Register
Details of all authorised drivers must be logged using the ‘Company Driver Register’ (see appendices)
The register should be kept up to date with the annual licence checks and kept on file.
7. Authorised Company Drivers
All authorised Company drivers must:
• Notify the Company when there is any future change in status of their licence, such as the addition of penalty points, disqualification, or your ability to drive. Failure to notify the Company will result in disciplinary action, in extreme matters this action may be escalated to criminal proceedings.
• Keep up to date with the Highway Code and the current laws of the road, adhering to any local speed and access restrictions. Displaying high standards of safe and competent vehicle control and courtesy to other drivers when using any vehicle on Company Business. To aid this, drivers of Company owned vehicles, must be given the opportunity to take the vehicle out to familiarise themselves with its characteristics prior to driving the vehicle.
• Ensure they do not operate any vehicle under the influence of any substances that inhibit their ability to drive such as alcohol, drugs including medication or receiving treatments carrying a health warning ‘not to drive’ after administration. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action.
All Company drivers may be required to take some form of ‘Driver Awareness’ training at the discretion of the Company.
8. Company Owned Vehicles
8.1 For this policy, the term Company owned vehicles are split into the following categories:
• Category 1: Pool vehicles: the company owned vehicle will be used by multiple authorised drivers, generally not used for personal use, or assigned to one individual, but for the use of the site.
• Category 2: Exclusive use vehicles: the Company owned vehicle is assigned to one employee as part of their contract of employment and may be used for personal use.
8.2 Vehicle Tax
All Company Vehicles must hold a current valid road tax licence. Managers and category 2 vehicle drivers are responsible for ensuring Company Vehicles under their control are taxed prior to expiry. It is no longer a legal requirement to display a car tax disc, evidence of road tax for a vehicle can be checked on the GOV.UK website. A copy of the tax payment receipt should be kept on file.
8.3 MOT Checks
All Company Vehicles must hold a current MOT certificate, unless exempt from requiring a certificate due to being in their first 3 years of service. Managers who are responsible for Company Vehicles based at their site and drivers of Category 2 vehicles are responsible to ensure their vehicles have been tested and received a new MOT certificate prior to the MOT scheduled expiry date.
8.4 Servicing and Repair
Any servicing and repair must be authorised by management before any works are carried out. Managers who are responsible for Company Vehicles based at their site and drivers of Category 2 vehicles are responsible to arrange for their vehicles to be serviced as per the vehicles servicing schedule or at least annually.
8.5 Periodic checks
All Company owned vehicles must be checked by the authorised driver in accordance with the ‘Company Vehicle Check Log’ (see appendices). The frequency of the documented checks may depend on your local site requirements and the use of the vehicle.
• Category 1 vehicles: each authorised driver should check the vehicle prior to each daily use for any off-site journey and complete the ‘Vehicle Check Log’. Weekly documented checks are permitted were the vehicle is used by the same authorised driver onsite with the occasional local offsite journey.
• Category 2 vehicle drivers are required to ensure their vehicles are fit for use for every journey although this does not need to be documented, cat 2 drivers are expected to check vehicles as outlined in the ‘Company Vehicle Check Log’.
In instances where a driver is concerned about any aspect of the vehicle’s operation at any time, they should immediately bring it to the attention of their line Manager for rectification. Vehicles must not be operated until rectification is complete.
9. Employees own Vehicle used for Company Business
Employees will need authorisation in writing to use their own vehicle on Company Business- see section 56 of the ‘Driving on Company Business Policy’.
The Company will require the employee to agree and sign the terms and conditions of the ‘Owner Driver Declaration’ form (see appendices). Which outlines the need to provide evidence the employees vehicle is:
• Registered in the employee’s name
• Has valid road tax
• Has a valid M.O.T. Certificate (if applicable)
• Fully insured in their name, that includes for Business use (class 1 minimum).
• Road worthy, in good clean condition of a standard that represents the Company.
Although it will not be necessary to keep copies of the documentation, this process will be repeated annually. Failure to produce these documents will result in the employee not being authorised for using their vehicle on Company Business.
Where the purchase of business class1 insurance has increased the employees’ premiums from their normal vehicle insurance cost, the Company will reimburse the additional difference in premium cost. Evidence of the increase must accompany the claim for reimbursement.
Any employee vehicles whether used on Company Business or not are required to be legally road worthy for use whilst on any Company premises. Where it is found that an employee’s vehicle is not deemed legally road worthy the employee will be asked to remove the vehicle from Company premises or will have the vehicle removed for them at the employee’s cost.
Overnight vehicle parking on Company premises is restricted to Managers authorisation or the vehicle owners overnight stay at the same Company premises for business purposes. Unauthorised vehicles may be removed from Company premises by the company and any costs to the Company being deducted from the offending employee’s salary.
10. Trailers (exhibitions, shows)
Drivers will only be authorised to tow trailers on Company Business if their driving licence categories allow them to do so and they can provide evidence of previous experience or training in towing the category of trailers.
11. Vehicles Operations
11.1
Security
A procedure for controlling and issuing keys is at each Company sites discretion, however all vehicle keys should be kept in a secure location. Unattended vehicles should be locked, any alarm activated, and keys removed. The authorised driver is responsible to ensure Company vehicle keys are held in a secure, out of sight location when not in use.
11.2 Company Vehicle Journey Logs
Category 1 vehicles: Pool Vehicles: Each authorised driver must complete the ‘Company Vehicle Journey log’ (see appendices) for each daily offsite journey. It is at the discretion of each site Manager if the journey log needs to be completed for each daily use of the vehicle or a weekly log if used by the same authorised driver for several days, including driving onsite. A separate journey log must be maintained for each company vehicle. A copy of the log is to be retained in the Company Vehicle and filed monthly.
Category 2 vehicle drivers may use the ‘Company Vehicle Journey log’ who need to record business milage for tax purposes. (Have opted out using Company Vehicles for personal use)
An authorised owner driver using their own vehicle should use the log as a means of recording business mileage for reimbursement.
11.3 Damage Reports
As per the periodic checks section, all drivers of Company Vehicles should regularly check their vehicles are fit for use prior to any journey.
Any damage noted or sustained during any journey must be entered into the ‘comments’ column of the ‘Company Vehicle Journey Log.’ Damage sustained during a journey should be brought to the attention of the authorised drivers Line Manager. All accidents and incidents must be reported via the online vehicle accident- Incident Report Form.
11.4 Breakdown & Recovery
All Company owned vehicles will be covered under a Motor Breakdown Insurance Policy. 24hr UK Breakdown cover is provided for:
• Home Assistance
• Roadside Assistance
• Roadside and Recovery
A copy of the UK Breakdown cover and 24hr helpline details will be kept in each Company Vehicle. Authorised owner drivers using their own vehicles on Company Business are not covered under the Company Vehicle Breakdown cover and should make their own arrangements for vehicle breakdowns.
It is the driver’s responsibility to inform their Line Manager following any breakdown assistance.
12. Vehicle Accidents-Incidents
Refer to ‘driving on Company Business Policy’ in the employee handbook for full details. It is the authorised driver’s responsibility including owner drivers to report as soon as possible any vehicle accident- incident to their Line Manager and via the Company’s online vehicle accident reporting system.
13. Driving Hours
To safeguard its employees and to give guidance to drivers on Company business Tingdene has adopted for its driver policy the driver hours for commercial vehicles as required by UK Law. Drivers using any vehicles on Company Business must adhere to the following guidance on maximum driving hours, minimum number, and length of rest breaks.
Journey Breaks
Up to 2 hours
Use your judgement – ‘feeling tired take a recommended break’
Between 2 and 9 hours 20 minutes rest required for every 2-hour journey time. Multiple breaks of not less than 20 minutes should be taken every 2-hour period up to 9hrs maximum driving hours. Note the break times are included in the 9hr maximum.
Over 9 hours
Journeys over 9 hours are not permitted. Drivers must take a break of not less than 9 hours before resuming their journey
Please note: Drivers who feel fatigued behind the wheel at any time should stop and take a rest break as soon as they are safely able to do so.