The responsibility of employers in fostering a safety culture among employees has come under the microscope recently, after car accident lawyers named several employers in employee-related accident lawsuits. It’s clear that employers can no longer ignore their responsibility to foster a sound traffic safety culture in the workplace.
For employers who want to introduce a “safe driving” message in the workplace, there are a number of places to begin. Unlike just a couple of decades ago, where the concept of employers being responsible for the driving practices of employees while on official work or when driving a company-issued car, was vague. These days, there are plenty of resources available for employers who want to phase in a “safe driving” campaign in the workplace.
The Network of Employers for Traffic Safety offers a number of resources for employers who want to invest in traffic safety training for their employees on its website. Those resources include everything from posters and promotional materials, to advice on how to go about implementing a Drive Safely to Work Week in your office.
However, dedicating a single week in the year to traffic safety may not be sufficient. For safe driving to become ingrained in an employee’s workplace ethic, it is important that employers make traffic safety a part of their workplace culture.
Employers can start right at the beginning when they hire an employee. Refuse to hire an employee who has a checkered motor vehicle safety record. Several tickets for drunk driving, citations for cell phone use while driving and an otherwise blotted traffic safety record should alert you to the fact that the applicant is a high-risk driver. Once an employee has been hired, invest in employee training in traffic safety matters, and make it clear that your company values safe driving very highly.
Your workplace must have a very clear safe driver policy, which can include guidelines from the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety. The organization has a 10-step program to help employees reduce the risk of being involved in an accident. Those guidelines include everything from promoting 100% seatbelt usage rates, to immediate reporting of accidents and safety incidents.
Article provided by the marketing team for the Denver Auto Accident Lawyers at McCormick & Murphy, P.C.