Drivers haven’t experienced winter conditions for months. New drivers may have little experience with them at all. So, give all employees winter driving training and reminders.
BRITISH COLUMBIA – Do your employees drive to make sales calls, see clients, or even pick up office supplies? If so, they’re driving for work and you’re responsible for their safety. With winter approaching, you need to prepare and plan now to keep them safe.
Winter driving can be dangerous, no matter how little time your employees spend behind the wheel or how much experience they have.
Nearly 40% of all work-related crashes resulting in injury and time off work occur from November through February in BC. Crashes are the leading cause of work-related traumatic deaths.
Use these tips from ShiftIntoWinter.ca to help keep your employees safe and on the job.
Know your safety responsibilities
Vehicles used for work are deemed workplaces in BC. Your legal responsibilities apply whether employees drive for work full time, part time, or occasionally, in company-owned or employee-owned vehicles.
You need to ensure employees:
- Are aware of driving hazards and know how to assess and manage risks
- Are properly trained for winter driving
- Have the equipment and supervision they need to stay safe
Road safety is smart business. It helps keep people working. And it helps reduce claims, insurance, and repair costs.
Steps you can take
Plan now, before the first winter weather arrives. Involve employees to help develop or update your winter driving safety policy. Make sure they know and follow your rules.
- Prepare your drivers.
Give them our guide on what workers need to know. Steer them to DriveBC.ca for road and weather reports so they “know before they go.” Remind them to slow down and increase their following distance to at least 4 seconds.
- Prepare work vehicles.
The basics include installing 4 matched winter tires with good tread and doing a maintenance check-up. Place an emergency kit in every vehicle. If employees use their own vehicles for work, ensure they follow these guidelines too.
- Provide winter driving training.
Drivers haven’t experienced winter conditions for months. New drivers may have little experience with them at all. So, give all employees winter driving training and reminders. Use ShiftIntoWinter.ca’s free resources, including our Keeping Your Employees Safe During Winter Driving Webinar, Winter Driving Safety for Employers and Supervisors Online Course, and tailgate meeting guides.