RoSPA Press Office : Press Release
February 17 , 2005
SAFETY ALERT FOR SCOTLAND’S VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS
Voluntary organisations in Scotland are being targeted by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents to ensure the people driving for them are as safe as possible on the road.
Many voluntary organisations provide road transport services in their communities as well as having vehicles needed for their day-to-day operations. In addition, some volunteers use their own vehicles.
But not all organisations realise they need to have policies, people and procedures in place to manage the risk on the road faced by anyone involved with their activities. Such measures can substantially reduce the likelihood of people working for them having accidents and will also protect passengers they are carrying and people on the road around them.
To tackle the problem, RoSPA is staging a training seminar on the Management of Occupational Road Risk for Voluntary Organisations at the Orwell Lodge Hotel, Edinburgh, on March 15.
Elizabeth Lumsden, RoSPA Road Safety Manager for Scotland, said: “Voluntary organisations have a duty of care under health and safety law to ensure the safety of their staff, volunteers, passengers and anyone else affected by their activities.
“They need to consider issues such as such as driving skills, the suitability of different types of vehicles, maintenance, journey planning and accident recording.
“Systems need to be introduced to check on volunteer drivers and their vehicles in the same way that full-time employees and an organisation’s own vehicles should be monitored.
“Many of the people transported by voluntary organisations are elderly or have physical disabilities. In an accident, they might have difficulty escaping from a vehicle without assistance. This is the type of thing that needs to be considered as part of an occupational road risk policy.
“Many businesses are only just coming to terms with the need to manage occupational road risk, and so we realise that voluntary organisations are likely to need advice.”
The seminar, supported by the Scottish Executive, costs £30 and is open to any voluntary organisation in Scotland. More details can be found at www.rospa.com/roadsafety or by ringing 0131 455 7457.
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RoSPA is a registered charity: Registered Charity No: 207823 Patron: Her Majesty the Queen RoSPA Head Office: Edgbaston Park, 353 Bristol Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B5 7ST, UK |
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