Preventing fleet safety hazards should be regarded as paramount activity for fleets and companies, who are, at least, beginning to grasp this even though they face the challenging task of having to deal with multiple aspects of their business activity which might increase the risks in which fleets operate.
From driver training to the use of telematics technology, there are indeed so many tools available to help fleet managers today with the task of managing fleet safety risks, but we have come across a recent article which demonstrates that there is still some way to go before the importance of fleet maintenance on vehicles peripheral to the fleet is fully accepted.
In the article published by Commercial Fleet it seems quite a frequent practice for some businesses as well as some SMEs to keep an old van or vehicle as a back-up for their fleet. These vehicles are generally used only occasionally, and despite still belonging to the fleet, and therefore subject to the same regulations regarding everything, including health and safety, they are not as regularly maintained as the others, nor inspected.
According to Fleet Check, who in this article have been actively raising the matter, this is quite a common attitude and happens even for companies that are usually well informed and committed to fleet risk management.
Efforts by companies usually committed to preventing fleet safety risks are surprisingly minimal regarding peripheral vehicles. These vehicles have to be looked after as well as the rest of the fleet or taken out of the operation completely. If a company is in need of a fully maintained and roadworthy vehicle but not for frequent use, they can investigate different options such as rental. For no real benefit, the health and safety record of a company can be totally compromised by using an older, unmaintained vehicle as backup.
Even one single incident or issue can put the life of drivers and staff at risk, generate injuries, health issues and tarnish the reputation of a company.