The most important parts of a fleet safety program

Creating a fleet safety plan is crucial to the protection of your employees, your company vehicles and your business. Having company vehicles is necessary for many organizations, but it’s also a risk and a 25774403_Mliability. How do you prevent something that’s important to your business – the ability to transport goods or employees – from becoming something dangerous or disruptive to your business? Developing a fleet safety plan can help protect your people and your property. Developing a working plan is key to negating risk:

  1. Know who’s driving: Businesses are responsible for knowing everyone who may be driving company vehicles. This is the first step in both being aware of risks and working to reduce them.
  2. Commitment to risk management: Once you’ve decided to create a fleet safety plan, it’s important to follow up with managers and other stakeholders to make sure it’s being implemented and executed correctly. Establish your policies and procedures in writing to ensure clear, consistent expectations.
  3. Screen and hire carefully: The safest, most reliable driving teams are those that have been hired according to clear standards and thorough screening. Adhering to a strict hiring process can ensure that your business has a long-term safety record on the road.
  4. Invest in training: You want to make sure that your drivers are always up to date with vehicle safety policies and procedures. Arming with them regular information on safe driving strategies and techniques, including defensive driving, can improve your safety record. Training shouldn’t be a one and done ordeal – managing ongoing training and ensuring that people are following it is part of a successful safety plan.
  5. Proactively managing accidents: Accidents happen, but being mindful and proactive in helping to process the incident can help you better understand your exposure and help plan for and prevent future problems or losses.
  6. Create a plan for maintenance and inspections: To reduce breakdowns and accidents due to equipment failure, establish and manage a schedule for fleet vehicle maintenance.

Handling claims or dealing with loss of property and productivity can severely impact your business. We can help you connect with resources that enable you to create the best risk management plans, as well as help ensure you’ve got the right coverage for any scenario. Get in touch with us today, and feel more comfortable about the future of your business.

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Combating the spread of coronavirus at the office

MERS virus, Meadle-East Respiratory Syndrome coronovirusTo help combat the spread of COVID-19, many offices are allowing employees to work from home. But few companies can shut down completely and must have at least some workers coming to the office each day. Here are some recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help keep COVID-19 from spreading in your workplace, even with reduced staffing levels:

Encourage good hygiene. Send hand washing reminders by e-mail and encourage all employees to wash their hands immediately after reporting to work. Post hand-washing reminders in the bathroom. Make hand sanitizer freely available wherever employees are. Remind employees to avoid touching their faces and cover coughs and sneezes.

Stop hand shaking. Use other non-contact methods of greeting. Try to keep employees who are in the office separated as much as possible.

Step up cleaning efforts. Surfaces like doorknobs, tables, desks, and handrails should be disinfected more frequently.

Use videoconferencing for meetings when possible. When not possible, hold meetings in open, well-ventilated spaces. Consider postponing large meetings or gatherings.

Encourage sick workers to stay home. Studies show that many employees nationwide come to work even if they have a cold or flu. In some offices, it’s a badge of honor to come to work even if you aren’t feeling well. Make sure employees know that if they aren’t feeling well, have been tested for COVID-19 or have a member of their household with COVID-19, they should stay home. The coronavirus can incubate from anywhere between 2-14 days. In the early stages, it doesn’t always present symptoms and some people who have it do not have significant symptoms.

Assist employees who are at higher risk. Some employees, such as older adults and those with chronic medical conditions, may be at higher risk for serious illness. Employers may want to consider minimizing face-to-face contact between these employees and other employees or customers and/or assigning work tasks that allow them to maintain a distance of six feet from other colleagues and customers.

Don’t forget about mental health. The coronavirus pandemic is having wide-reaching effects on almost every aspect of American life. Understandably, many people report feeling anxious, afraid and unsure about what’s next. You can’t predict the future, but you can encourage your employees to care for their mental health — whether they are at home or at the office.

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