Document guides people and entities who use vehicles for work purposes
A report has been released outlining the duties and laws that govern firms, organisations and individuals who use vehicles for work purposes on the road networks of Australia or New Zealand.
Vehicles as a Workplace – Work Health & Safety Guide was published in collaboration with Australian state and territory WHS and road safety authorities, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) and other key stakeholders.
It provides practical risk management for a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) – which can include an individual or corporate entity – who use vehicles on public roads for work and outlines the process for dealing with road traffic hazards in line with WHS legislation and road traffic safety principles.
It aims to target road fatalities among Australian workers and can be used by organisations and individuals from any industry who use any sort of vehicle for work purposes on the road network in Australia or New Zealand.
Read AustRoads’ report into improving the provision of truck rest stop areas, here
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland’s Nita Maynard encourages organisations to adopt a systematic approach to managing risks where vehicles are used as a workplace.
“Road vehicle use is the most significant contributor to work-related fatal injury,” she says.
“This guide seeks to expand organisational thinking to include designing safer work-related travel, using safer and fit for purpose vehicles, and adopting safer routes through systematic journey planning.”
EXERPT
Duty holders under WHS law have different roles in ensuring that they and their organisation meet their obligations:
• A PCBU must manage road traffic safety risks if their workers are engaged in travel on the road, regardless of who owns or operates the vehicle used. This primary duty requires them to eliminate risks to health and safety or, if that is not reasonably practicable, to minimise risks so far as is reasonably practicable.
• Officers, such as company directors, must exercise due diligence to ensure that the organisation is complying with WHS law and ensure that the business or undertaking is using appropriate resources and processes to eliminate or minimise road traffic safety risks.
• Workers must ensure that they take reasonable care for their own and others’ health and safety and also co-operate with any reasonable policies, procedures and instructions.
The full report can be found here.