MITIE hops aboard Roadsafe campaign
MITIE, the company behind one of the country’s largest vehicle fleets, has become the latest to join RoadSafe’s Driving for Better Business campaign as a business champion.
Ruby McGregor-Smith, Chief Exec of strategic outsourcing business MITIE, championed the road safety programme saying: “We are delighted that our initiatives to provide a safe working environment for all of our drivers has been recognised by the campaign.
“We see achieving high standards of health and safety performance as a part of good overall management. Health and safety, which includes fleet risk management, is the first agenda item at every board meeting. This makes sure that we formally review our risks, control programmes and performance.
“Our board and management view the safety of our employees as paramount. Fleet risk has a major focus as it is our most significant risk. Looking after our people in whatever work they undertake for MITIE makes good business sense.”
Bristol-based MITIE’s fleet comprises more than 3,500 light commercial vehicles, almost 2,300 company cars and 31 HGVs, with a further 600 employees driving their own cars on business.
With 10,000 drivers, the company completed a root and branch review of occupational road risk policies and procedures last which resulted in the establishment of a Fleet Risk Management Steering Group, supported by the executive board.
Consequently, a series of new initiatives were introduced to further improve fleet risk management.
They included:
- Publication of the firm’s first drivers’ handbook setting out the CEO’s expectation and requirements for all employees driving on MITIE business
- On-line licence checking
- The issuing of vehicle accident reporting packs to drivers
- Fitting reversing parking sensors to commercial vehicles as a result of a review of the top three causes of incidents
- The holding of driver awareness and managing occupational road risk workshops as well as vehicle specific induction, classroom and in-car driver training
- Driver risk assessment and profiling using a series of data sets to identify driving hazards resulting in the implementation of controls to reduce the risk as far as reasonably practicable.
- The development of a fleet insurance dashboard comprising easy to visualise current fleet key performance indicators to monitor effective monitoring performance and enable targeted interventions to occur where required
- Fleet risk management benchmarking
- Regular communication with drivers on specific areas of risk such as winter driving and tyre awareness.
Estimates indicate there are up to 150 road deaths and serious injuries every week in the UK resulting from crashes involving at work drivers.
Employees are also more likely to be killed and seriously injured on Britain’s roads while driving on behalf of their employer than in any other work-related activity.
Richard White, MITIE’s head of quality, health, safety and environment (QHSE), said: “We believe that the principal benefit of any fleet risk management programme is ensuring our people go home safely from work every day. It is our intention therefore to deliver a fleet risk management programme that places the safety of our people as the focal point.
“We also recognise that a safe driver is a more economical driver through improved fuel consumption and reduced vehicle service, maintenance and repair costs. Fuel efficient driving results in fuel savings and reduced CO2 emissions. As a result of new vehicle procurement practices and driver training, our fleet-related CO2 emissions show a year on year improving trend.”
Campaign director Caroline Turner added: “MITIE has made huge strides to raise awareness of the importance of safe driving across its rapidly expanding business.
“The company has recognised that implementing a comprehensive road risk management strategy has multiple spin-offs. In addition to improving its duty of care towards its employees, it is recording financial savings as a result of fewer accidents, improved vehicle MPG and lower maintenance costs.”
See also:
No comments yet
