Hazard Sheet 24 Driving and Transport Safety
Driving and Transport Safety
Driving to or from projects sites can be dangerous, with road incidents often causing more deaths and serious injuries to employees and
contractors than incidents on site.
Scope
The requirements below apply to all vehicles that are owned, leased, or hired by ABB, or privately owned but used for business by ABB
employees. The use of a privately owned car is subject to approval by the manager.
Vehicles should be hired from ABB preferred (there are is agreement between ABB Group and the rental company) rental companies.
And applies to vehicles used by contractors to transport their workers to and from site.
In some countries it is not advisable to drive by your own. The vehicles shall be leased with driver or if the vehicle is an ABB car it should
driven by a local. In case of an accident it can cause significant difficulties whether you are the cause of the accident or not. Local ABB office
can normally advise.
The Vehicles Used
■ Ensure that all vehicles are fit for purpose;
■ Ensure that all vehicles and fittings meet appropriate safety standards & laws;
■ Ensure that all vehicles are suitably inspected and maintained;
■ Ensure that all vehicles have front and rear fitted seat belt.
■ Ensure that all vehicles are insured for driver, passengers, damage to the car and third person.
■ Ensure that the vehicles are common in the country in order to get reliable support of services and spare parts
Specifically Vehicles shall:
■ The vehicle should not be older then 3 years and with a weight above 1200 kg
■ Have at least two airbags “driver and passenger”.
■ Be fitted with seatbelts for all seats, in the front and at back or for buses on all seats.
■ Be fitted with head rests at seats in the front and at back.
■ Have standard, ABS and Power Steering.
■ Be fitted with a fire extinguisher and a First aid kit.
■ Only vehicles specifically designed for passenger use shall be used for transporting workers e.g. mini bus, coach etc
■ If the vehicles are supposed to be used for transporting goods they should be fitted with devices to secure the load.
The following will be provided if deemed reasonably practical requirements by a driving risk assessment.
■ Air-conditioned, this will be recommended (long distances on hot summer days can cause fatigue to the driver.
■ Canopies are not required, as ABB will not tolerate employees to be transported on the back of any vehicle. The sole purpose of a
canopy will only be for the protection of transportation of goods against rain etc.
■ Bullbars, Nudgebars, extra night lights etc. this will be on management discretion, keep in consideration for what purpose the
vehicle will be used for and in which areas will these vehicles be used in. The following should be considered:
■ Are the vehicles going to be used in rural areas, risks associated to this being, poor lighting at night, sometimes, if any at all, then
extra lighting will be deemed necessary.
■ Live stock, such at cattle etc. roaming, consider bulbars, as this will minimize the damage to the vehicle and act as a barrier to
protect the driver in the event of an accident.
The Driver, and Passengers
■ Comply with all national road laws, and site speed limits;
■ Seat belts are worn by all occupants;
■ Be suitably trained, licensed and medically fit to operate the class of vehicle;
■ Report any medical or physical condition that would impair ability to drive safely;
■ Not drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or when suffering from fatigue;
■ Do not use hand-held cell (mobile) phones, or radios when driving;
■ Comply with procedures for safe operation and maintenance of their vehicle;
■ Ensure the manufacturers limit for passengers, and load to be carried are not exceeded;
■ Report all motor vehicle incidents even where minor injury, or damage.
■ Employees that drive more than 30,000 km for business per year or in an area with a Risk Level status shall attend a suitable
advanced driving course.
Taxis
The use of
‘spot’ or hire direct hire taxis should be avoided in high road risk countries (ref: ABB Road safety standard). Where possible in high risk
countries local management should set up contracts with one or more light vehicle rental companies that can provide vehicles and drivers
that meet the ABB standard.
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Hazard Sheet 24 Driving and Transport Safety
Driving and Transport Safety Cont...
Motorcycles
If motorcycles are used by employees for business travel then safety helmets are worn by the riders, and passengers.
Fatigue Kills
It is important that the risks of fatigue are reduced as far as practicably possible, whilst allowing reasonable discretion to be exercised by the
driver. To avoid fatigue, adequate rest should be taken on long journeys; it is recommended that a short break, say of at least 15 minutes,
should be taken after about 2 hours driving and a longer break, say of about 60 minutes, after 4 hours.
As an indication of the daily limits for the distance or time that should be driven, the following guidance is offered. Many factors affect
fatigue so that limits in terms of mileage or time are difficult to set, except perhaps for very specific situations. Examples of recommended
maximum distances set for some specific situations are 400 km (250 miles) for driving on generally good roads and 600 km (375 miles) for
mainly motorway driving. However, any such recommendations should be regarded as exceptional journeys, not the norm.
Mileage limits should be indicative and not rigid otherwise unreasonable situations could arise, such as an overnight stop a short distance
from the destination or the use of cross country or town centre routes instead of an easier but longer motorway journey.
After completing long haul flights employees should not drive, alternatives should be used e.g. host pickup, appropriate taxi or public
transportation.
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