Posted By Decimomal Just got this from the P.A to the Regional MD: "As you may be aware the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act, which came into effect on the 6 April 2008 and a part of the provision of this act, the provision for Health and Safety for employees who are driving on business use, regardless of whether they are using a company car or their own have been accentuated. To this end, can you please review the attached information that we hold with regard to your vehicle, which you use for business travel" etc etc........ I would like to reply in a measured manner and without my size 10 boots! What would you say?

Posted By Ron Hunter Why this perceived need to justify a perfectly reasonable request with reference to gobbledygook? It can be simply stated as: "Please review the attached information that we hold with regard to your vehicle, which we understand you use for business travel. Thankyou for your assistance"

Posted By martinw And if a regime of checking is a good way of ensuring that you are indeed complying with the relevant gubbins, if you have company vehicles which more than one person uses, have a checklist: check before and after use for damage etc. Otherwise, have those who have sole use of a company vehicle to check their vehicles and sign as such. This is nothing that does not happen anyway - we all check out cars, do we not?

Posted By Phill Firmin Let me put it another way - we carry out document checks on all company drivers, whether they have a company vehicle, user allowance or simply claim mileage. If the authorities are implying (by example) that they will prosecute the organisation, if found to be 'not checking' the legality of their employees who drive, then so be it. If you do not then you are simply taking an unnecessary risk.

Posted By Coshh Assessor The motivation for the request may well be the wish to avoid prosecution. However what is the point of telling employees that? It's just bad communication in so many ways - it doesn't consider the needs of the audience. As Ron said above, just tell them in straightforward terms what is expected of them.

Posted By Phill Firmin Such checks are quite understandable - they benefit the driver by ensuring they remain legal on the road and the organisation by confirming that drivers are complying with policy and standards. The only alternative to this is to assume and trust everyone across the board, but if anyone reckons on this being a sensible way forward then best wishes! We also have a drivers handbook and ensure all issues are spelt out clearly. Phill.