If you have workers who are driving from site to site, or travelling to a meeting, or even going out for a coffee run, they are considered occupational drivers by the WSIB. Across all industry in Ontario, there were more than 7,000 lost-time claims related to occupational driving between 2006 and 2010, and 149 fatalities.
Occupational driving poses unique risks for employers. According to the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (formerly Transportation Health and Safety Association of Ontario) driving is one of the highest risk activities an employer ever requires employees to undertake, and unlike a worksite, the types of drivers and vehicles sharing the road with employees are not under the control of the employer Employers have both a legal duty (under the Occupational Health and Safety Act) and a moral duty to protect workers from the hazards of occupational driving. A safe driving program can help achieve this goal. Driving programs should be customized to fit the needs of each workplace. This package provides a general look at how to implement a safe driving program and tools to assess the driving hazards at your worksite
