Unison launches ‘permits to drive’
UNISON, Britain’s giant public sector union, has ruled that its employees who drive on business must qualify for a ‘Permit to Drive’ – a driving licence will no longer be enough...
Adrian Walsh: welcomed ‘fantastic news’
‘No Unison permit, no Unison driving’ is the rule being introduced. It is intended to ensure that Unison and its executives comply with occupational road risk health and safety regulations and the new Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act.
Unison’s action, believed to be a first among unions, is thought likely to trigger public sector and major private employers into also introducing an employee ‘Permit to Drive’. As a result most, if not all, company car and owncar- work mileage drivers could progressively need employer permits. Thousands already have them because they provide employers with health and safety and manslaughter legal protection.
Adrian Walsh, director of RoadSafe, which is managing the Government’s ‘Driving for Better Business’ programme, said: “This is fantastic news.
“That Unison has taken the importance of occupational road risk management on board should encourage all public sector organisations to focus on ensuring they have robust at-work driving health and safety policies and procedures in place.
Champion
“The Government is looking for organisations to champion occupational road risk management and I hope that Unison’s decision is the catalyst for other unions, as well as companies, to ensure initiatives are put in place to reduce road crashes involving at-work drivers.”
Unison’s move was revealed at a series of managing work-related road safety seminars, which have been held nationwide by Fleet Support Group, a RoadSafe supporter, in the run-up to the April implementation of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act.
Obtaining and retaining a ‘Permit’ means each driver and vehicle annually passing a rigid ‘fit for the road’ examination with quarterly online driver declarations about licence (endorsement) and health status – to alert an employer as necessary. Failure to reply can mean withdrawal of a driver’s ‘Permit’. Under the new corporate killing law an employer will be liable for causing death by gross negligence.
Penalties under the legislation will be so severe that a company/ employer could be forced into bankruptcy and out of business. A union is an employer, in law a ‘business’. So also are charities ‘employing’ unpaid volunteer drivers.
Members
So Unison, with more than 1.3 million members working in public services, local authorities, NHS, police service, education, public utilities and transport, is setting a high profile public sector example in safe driving.
As a result millions of working drivers could have to acquire an employment ‘Permit to Drive’ - and risk being refused. Their jobs could depend on being safe at the wheel, with no redress.
For Unison is saying: ‘legally no employer can afford to be unprepared’ because a convicted business will face an unlimited fine and, for the first time, a name-andshame punishment.
Unison’s 350 key work-driving employees are being ‘enrolled’ for a ‘Permit to Drive’ followed by 150 staff who drive their own cars on Unison business.
The union is adopting the legally directed RiskMaster work-related road risk protection programme operated by FSG at its 24hr control centre in Chippenham. RiskMaster, developed over seven years, is a comprehensive safety discipline. On behalf of an employer it issues employees annually with a ‘Permit to Drive’ - after rigid driver and vehicle checks.
The cost of Unison’s ‘Permit to Drive’ will be £42 a year per driver. But that is likely to be offset by resulting cash savings.
Typically the programme reduces road accidents, incidental vehicle damage, and insurance claims so successfully that participating companies’ vehicle insurance premiums go down enough to produce a net profit.
Already 30, mostly big-name businesses including one with 1,500 vehicles, are operating the RiskMaster programme, with more household names committed to follow (RoadSafe: spring 2007).
Ian Smith, Unison staff health and safety officer, said: “Unison is reinforcing need for its drivers to appreciate that driving can be a deadly activity. Deploying RiskMaster is demonstrating that Unison cares deeply about employees’ well-being.”
Geoffrey Bray, FSG chairman, added: “There is surging realisation among employers that to do nothing about driving safety is not an option. Some big companies risk roadrelated manslaughter prosecutions this year.”
Labour sets example with its own permits
THE Labour Party is issuing its own work ‘Permit to Drive’, so setting a political example to businesses and other organisations.
Its action, as at Unison, is risk management designed to significantly reduce the likelihood of an employee road accident leading to a charge under the new Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act. As an employer, the Party’s HQ says it is taking every reasonable precaution to safeguard its employees and others from road injury and death, as health and safety and corporate killing laws demand.
Ahead of the new corporate manslaughter legislation, 50 Labour Party work-driving regional officials have been enrolled in the RiskMaster workrelated road safety programme developed by Fleet Support Group, with more driver employees to follow.
Riskmaster bosses say that the move by both the Labour Party and Unison has to be a ‘starter flare’. Logically, they argue, that work vehicle road risk management must now spread rapidly to other political parties, government departments, local authorities, MP’s assistants paid and volunteers, election driving helpers, all UK private business and charities.
Ann-Marie Foster, Labour Party facilities manager, said: “We are showing all our staff that health and safety is not just in the office but extends to driving on the road.”
The RiskMaster programme was recommended to the Labour Party by its vehicle leasing supplier, JCT600.
Leading health and safety legal specialist Michael Appleby, at Housemans, added: “Like nothing else the programme is having a positive effect upon company driving safety culture which is crucial to managing the risk coupled with the figures also demonstrating a reduction in vehicle running costs.”