When COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March 2020, it catapulted a number of changes for both individuals and businesses. Operating procedures needed to be adjusted to ensure that both employees and clients were not unnecessarily exposed to the virus. While there was great uncertainty about what the future held at that point, today it is clear that many of these protocols are here to stay.
The CEO of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, says initially COVID-19 protocols were prioritised to the exclusion of other HSE policies, particularly those amongst fleets. “Now, two years into the pandemic, it is clear COVID-19 protocols will be here for some time to come still, if not permanently, but that previous HSE requirements cannot be neglected either. Neglecting these can result in loss of life and economic strain that is just as significant as that caused by the virus.
“Currently, HSE policies need to include both COVID-19 protocols and measures to continue meeting HSE requirements to ensure drivers remain capable and, consequently, safe on the roads within this new environment. Neglecting to include either of these requirements will expose both employees and your business to unnecessary risk that can impact both the well-being of your drivers and financial standing of your business.”
The key to balancing both these objectives is to be selective in your decisions. “Rather than sacrifice training objectives, develop guidelines for choosing a training provider that meets your internal COVID-19 protocols. In this way, you neither have to ignore the reality of the virus or place drivers on the roads without adequate training and development.”
Examples of other issues that should be addressed in HSE policies:
- Guidance on when and the areas where a vehicle needs to be sanitised
- Policies on how training can be conducted in as low-risk an environment as possible
- An alternative plan to follow should the workforce be affected by the spread of COVID-19 that ensures working employees are not placed under undue pressure when there is only a skeleton staff available
- Procedures to be followed should a driver be exposed
- A non-negotiable policy with regard to mask wearing, social distancing and sanitising when interacting with clients
- Measures to meet training requirements during periods of high-risk or increased transmission
- Policies on reducing the risk when refueling or conducting routine maintenance
- Customer interaction guidelines
- Policies about the use of company vehicles for personal use that could increase the risk of transmission
Companies are navigating drastically different environments in the COVID-19 era. “While it is essential to adjust polices to account for this, it is just as important to not let any other requirements in your HSE policies fall by the wayside. The best way to do this is to have a clearly defined strategy and HSE policy that covers all eventualities,” says Herbert.
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