Duty of Care & Fleet Driver Training offered by Dragon Driver Training is for employers, managers or supervisors whose employees drive vehicles in class B classification. Below is some helpful information on Classifications and Laws relating to Duty of Care.
Workers who drive for work would be drivers of HGVs, LGVs, bus, coach, taxi drivers, utility company employees, sales and marketing staff, emergency services, social and health workers, local authority staff, couriers and delivery staff, most enforcement staff, garage mechanics, construction workers etc.
Any employee who needs a vehicle to conduct his work or to travel from one point to another excluding travelling to office to conduct his conditions of work (to travel to various places of work)
Road Safety LawThe driver may be responsible for how they conduct their driving, however the employer must take a key role in managing and influencing their drivers, the use of vehicles and the planning of journeys to increase safety when driving for work. This is a shared responsibility between employer and employee.
There are three types of law that apply to driving for work in Ireland a)Road Traffic Law, b) Health and Safety Law, c) EU rules on driving time.
Road Traffic LawThis comes under the Road Traffic Act 1962, plus amendments. The Gardaienforce this law and investigate all road related incidents involving injury and fatalities. This in work related incidents may be conducted in conjunction with the Health and Safety Authority.
Health and Safety LawThe legislation that applied to general driving for work is the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, with associated regulations, such as dangerous goods transport by road. Under the act the employer has a duty to protect the health and safety of employees who drive for work. These obligations are listed and defined below.
Duty of CareThe employer has a duty to provide a safe place of work for employees regardless of the size or type of business. Under the Safety, Health and Welfare Act, a vehicle is defined as a place of work. Therefore it is the duty of the employer to ensure work related journeys are safe, that members of staff are able to drive safely, and all vehicles and vehicle equipment for fit for purpose. Duty of care also includes care of others where they are affected by the employees work activity, those being other road users and pedestrians.