WEEKLY EDITION OCTOBER 9, 2019
WEEKLY EDITION DECEMBER 18, 2019
PAGE 7
Fleet Safety Programs for Portable Sanitation Operations
By Karleen Kos, PSAI Executive Director…continued from page 2
Eight Essential Elements of a Fleet Safety Program
Many resources are available describing the key elements of a fleet safety program. Traveler's Insurance
offers the following overview:
"An effective fleet safety program must be comprehensive, up-to-date and instituted as a part of your
company's safety culture. It should be thorough, reaching each employee who gets behind the wheel.
And the commitment has to start at the top.
1. Identifying all of your drivers. Businesses
may not be aware of the full extent of their
non-owned vehicle exposure. You should
identify everyone who drives on behalf of
the business, even those employees that use
personal and/or rented vehicles.
2. Management commitment. Leadership
support of the program can help assure that
the program is used.
3. Screening and selecting drivers
carefully. This can help create a reliable, safe
team. Without safe drivers, no organization is likely to have a good long-term safety record.
Establish clear hiring standards and a thorough screening process for anyone who drives on
company business.
4. Training drivers. This can help to ensure that all drivers understand vehicle safety policies and
procedures. All drivers should have access to information on safe driving strategies and techniques,
including instruction in defensive driving.
5. Managing drivers on an ongoing basis. This is essential in helping to ensure that drivers are
following fleet safety rules and driving safely.
6. Managing accidents, when they occur. This can help mitigate accident costs. It also helps you to
understand your exposures and can reduce the potential for future losses.
7. Establishing written policies and procedures. This sets clear, consistent expectations.
8. Formalizing a plan for vehicle inspection, repair, and maintenance. This can help reduce costly,
unexpected breakdowns, and can assist in avoiding accidents due to faulty equipment."
Going Deeper
Traveler's eight elements are just a starting point. Portable sanitation companies should develop and
document formal requirements and processes in each area, working with insurance carriers and other
experts to create a comprehensive program that makes sense for the firm.
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