When your employees drive between construction sites or deliver materials, 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
safety responsibilities apply whether employees drive for work occasionally, part time, or full time, and when they use company-owned or employee-owned vehicles.
You need to ensure employees are:
- Aware of driving hazards and know how to assess and manage risks
- Properly trained for winter driving
- Given 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.
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.
The basics include installing 4 matched
winter tires (look for the 3-peaked mountain and snow logo) 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 been in winter conditions for months. New drivers may have little experience with them. Provide winter driving training and reminders to your staff using
ShiftIntoWinter.ca’s free resources. They include a
Winter Driving Safety Planning Tool Kit,
Winter Driving Safety for Employers and Supervisors Online Course, and
tailgate meeting guides.
