MANAGERIAL & CORPORATE LIABILITY
RoSPA, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, is launching a major campaign aimed at UK businesses which continue to ignore existing legislation related to at-work travel. Unnecessary business travel costs lives, causes injuries and stress and exposes UK executives to potential criminal charges and legal action from employees:
Between a quarter and a third of all road accidents involve a person (s) who is at work.
Every week up to 270 people are either killed or seriously injured in incidents which occur whilst 'travelling in the course of business', that's 1 every 15 minutes.
This compares to less than 7 fatal injuries in work related accidents in the workplace.
Those who travel 25,000 miles a year in the course of their work face a risk of fatality at work equivalent to that faced by those employed in high hazard industries such as agriculture, quarrying or construction!
In reality the true level of risk for at-work drivers is even higher as research shows company car drivers have a 40% higher risk of crashing and their injuries are correspondingly worse.
The workforce is becoming increasingly mobile and research reveals that 75% of men and 49% of women employed in manufacturing in England are required to drive a vehicle at some point in the course of their work.
Time spent driving can also exacerbate musculo-skeletal injuries and contribute to work related stress, the 2 biggest sources of lost working days.
The human and financial costs of work related crashes to families, businesses and the wider community are massive. A fatal crash in total costs business, families and the wider community over £1 million every time.
Directors and Managers who commit their staff to unnecessary business travel are personally exposed under existing legislation to criminal prosecution, civil action from employees and insurance invalidation. Any organisation that does not implement alternatives, such as Videoconferencing, is in the opinion of RoSPA acting irresponsibly and is liable to prosecution.
THE VIDEO MEETING COMPANY AND THE FACE2FACE VIDEO MEETING ROOM NETWORK SUPPORT - MEETING WITHOUT MOVING
WHY MEETING WITHOUT MOVING?
MWM can not substitute for all business meetings but both RoSPA and VMC believe that there is enormous scope through the use of good quality Videoconferencing for organisations to save time and money, reduce stress and environmental impact, support better life/work balance and also improve safety.
RoSPA is now actively promoting the contribution which greater use of Videoconferencing can make to improving work related road safety, getting employees off the road and thereby helping to cut crashes, casualties and associated costs.
MWM - A PHILOSOPHY, A POLICY AND A STRATEGY
RoSPA and face2face share the view that securing greater use of MWM is not so much a technological issue as a cultural one. VC, for example, is not a technology; it is a communications medium requiring behavioural change. Arguably, unless the most advantageous climate can be created for such change, sustained usage will not occur. Videoconferencing users therefore need to be informed, educated, encouraged and positively motivated to use the medium. The technology is now very good but many organisations which are video enabled still fail to make effective use of it. This suggests that what is required is an examination of effective ways of persuading individuals and organisations to change their expectations about the need for business travel in the wider context of business communications. As regards work related road safety there are powerful reasons for encouraging those focussing on this issue - both within organisations and outside - to explore how greater use of video links could reduce risk, crashes, casualties and associated costs.
FACT 1
The majority of businesses are acting illegally in not adhering to the current legislation related to minimising stress and reducing risk in the workplace.
FACT 2
The majority of line managers, HR personnel and senior executives are ignorant of their responsibilities under this legislation and their personal exposure to legal proceedings and possible criminal prosecution.
FACT 3
The majority of managers and employers are unaware that, ' business travel in the course of work' - so called 'at-work travel' - fall under the existing workplace legislation.
FACT 4
Under the Working Time Directive, which is now law, all travel in the course of business is counted against the 48 hour maximum per week. It will be a criminal offence for employers or line managers to direct staff to work beyond the maximum.
Employers have had duties under the Health & Safety at Work Act of 1974 (and related regulations) to manage occupational road risk in the same way as they manage other Health & Safety risks. However until now these duties have never been enforced by HSE and it is anticipated that all employers will now be encouraged to investigate alternatives to unnecessary, hazardous business travel such as Videoconferencing.
When people go to work they have a right to expect that they will be able to return home at the end of the day without having suffered injury or damage to their health. All businesses have moral as well as legal obligations to protect their employees and others affected by their activities. Taking action to ensure the safety of employees and colleagues is not just a matter of complying with regulations, it is also sound business sense.
" I have to say that it pains me personally to still hear some of our senior business leaders and leading columnists expressing the view that health and safety is a 'burden on business and competitiveness' and that we have somehow gone 'over the top' in our efforts to control risks associated with work. None of us should ever forget the extent to which accidents and ill-health caused through work can wreck lives, damage families and impose major costs on business and the community generally".
Lord Faulkner, President RoSPA.
"If individual managers and employers believe that changing work practices and human behaviour is too expensive, they should try having an accident!"
It is vital that businesses manage risk. The commercial advantages are enormous with lower insurance premiums, increased productivity and improved staff retention. Companies that are seen to be responsible have an enhanced reputation which benefits workers, customers and shareholders alike.
The rise in global terrorism since 11th September has clearly shown the need for risk management policies to embrace every aspect of travel. UK companies must now consider the potential impact of terrorism in ways that were unimaginable before the 11th September atrocities.
Businesses should have policies, procedures and strategies that address and reduce the root cause of travel related stress. Management and employees should be educated to identify the early warning signs of travel-related stress. At an individual level, workers should feel able to request a reduction in any stress related travel.
"Health and Safety Legislation is an area that is regularly policed and strictly enforced. Action by regulatory authorities is likely to increase in order to meet the targets set by the Government. Where warnings and improvements notices have been weapons frequently used in the past, prosecutions are now more likely".
Ron Reid, Shoosmiths Law Firm
"Over the recent years the Courts have shown an increasing willingness to impose very substantial fines upon businesses found in breach of Health and Safety Legislation. Six figure fines or even higher are not unheard of. In extreme cases, custodial sentences can not be ruled out".
