Low speed impacts and the cost implications to your business

Low-speed collisions might not be high on your risk management agenda but if you’re a business that relies on its vehicle fleet, such an incident could have multiple implications.

While minor impacts can happen out on public roads, they commonly occur in workplaces where drivers must navigate other work vehicles and infrastructure, visitors and personnel, tight spaces or unfamiliar surroundings. A significant number of workplace vehicle accidents, for example, occur during deliveries and collections[1].

Key risk considerations for organisations

Low speed impacts might appear innocuous due to the often low costs attached but this is just the tip of the iceberg. Here are some things to consider:

• Costs to fix your vehicle and/or another vehicle because of the damage - these can be expensive, especially with HGV’s and more modern vehicles.
• Demand on resources with the vehicle being out of use along with employee time spent to investigate.
• Property damage to the likes of docks, fences (not just bollards), buildings and surrounding landscape.
• Gate house/barrier damage leading to further impacts on security.
• Injury and any associated medical expenses.
• Reputation to your business should any incident cause a fatality, for example.
• Stock damage.

How can you prevent low speed impacts?

While driver awareness and vehicle safety are important in managing the risk of accidents in the workplace, your on-site risk assessment should play a key role. The guidance below is a good starting point:

For Logistics Businesses

• All traffic routes should be clearly marked and signposted.
• Risk assessments and dynamic risk assessments – can the vehicle safely manage the route plan?
• Provide car and van parking for the workforce and visitors well away from the work area.
• Provide induction training for drivers and workers, and send instructions to visitors before they visit the site.
• Engineering solutions - i.e. cameras and/or sensors.
• Driver communications – pre and post-accident with training but also looking at the learnings from incidents to help avoid them going forward. Driver feedback.
• Distractions - can these be eliminated or reduced.
• Mental health and wellbeing programs.
• Fatigue.
• Driver site and vehicle familiarity.
• Regulatory changes.
• Management information to enable driver monitoring. Looking at loss management, tracking and coaching.

For Site Operators

• All traffic routes should be clearly marked and signposted.
• Provide car and van parking for the workforce and visitors well away from the work area.
• Provide induction training for drivers and workers and send instructions to visitors before they visit the site.
• Site maintenance schedule.
• CCTV.
• Traffic light system on docks.
• Correct level of lighting.
• Distractions - can these be eliminated or reduced?
• Driver/Site communication – including two-way feedback.
• Regulatory changes

How can Gallagher help?

Gallagher’s Logistics and Major Fleet team can help you manage the risk of vehicle collisions, both in the workplace and out on the road, tailoring our solutions according to your business and its operations.

We can assist in the following areas:

• Conduct site assessments.
• Provide on-site safety training in the form of toolbox talks.
• Recommend appropriate action such as driver assessments/profiling.
• Assist with safety communication methods to drivers, workers and visitors.
• Work with technology providers and other third parties to assist with CCTV, management information (MI), etc.
• Advise on organisational risk management and business continuity planning.
• Integrated loss and risk management.

Please contact us if you would like to know more about the services we offer and how we can support you in managing your driving risks.