Does anyone have any experience of enforcing driving rules in the workplace? We are having some issues with staff (driving their own cars) driving faster than the stated speed limit, against the one way system and parking in inappropriate places on our site. I've been asked to come up with a plan to tackle this but I don't know where to start!

H&S connotations, HR responsibility

The drugs & alcohol and Driving policy should sit with HR IMO, we are having similar 'debates' with HR at present, H&S depts. should of course assist with the formulation of policy (HSE guidance etc.) but I tend to think that ultimately enforcement and management of such policies sit with our HR friends

Agree policies of this nature should sit with HR.

Are these cars part of your fleet or are they individual employees owned vehicles. Company vehicles could be fitted with "telemetrics" which tracks vehicle speed, corner, braking etc. Surprising how driving habits change when they see the little box sat on the dashboard and the driver knowing that it is tracking their driving style.

Disciplining staff is as several people mentioned a management responsibility not HR. monitoring safe practices on your site is usually down to H&S cos HR will never leave their nice cosy offices …
What you need to do is:
• Have a clear policy about driving on your site, ideally modelled after the highway code, which says that the on-site driving policy will be enforced through the normal disciplinary channels
• Have clear signage explaining the speed limits and where to park using standard road signage and road markings
• Get someone to monitor the driving on site- hire a speed gun, or one of the illuminated speed signs or just pretend you have a speed camera just show the employees that someone is looking at them and their driving behaviour
• If they break the rules report it their line manager
• If they won’t do anything about it and the people are routine offenders ban them from bring their vehicles on the site-make them park around the corner and walk in.

I hate being the H&S heavy but if H&s don't do who will... many line managers don't necessarily understand enough about the job at the front end to be able to identify poor practice…they are too busy doing manager type things like budgets.
If you see something wrong, do you walk on by saying, “That’s a management responsibility” or do get stuck in and explain what’s wrong? Speeding on site is just the sort of c**p that gets dropped on the H&S plate. The line managers are not going to queue up in the morning at the entrance and watch their underlings come on site in case they are speeding. But if it is an issue who will? Security guards?
The H&S cannot be a purely theoretical exercise (unless you are being very strategic) where you devise strategies and schemes and tell people it is now management responsibility to carry this out.

What about hearts and minds?? All the responses so far rely upon after the event discipline. That just feels a bit old school approach to me. Of course you have to have a disciplinary policy that managers and HR manage but shouldn't it be the last resort?

Perhaps your employer is expecting an OSH bod to take a hearts and mind approach to the problem? There are complex reasons why this is happening; best check them out before doing anything else.

First try to find out why it is happening. Is it really just a simple couldn't give a damn or are there other reasons?

How long has it been going on? Have managers been ignoring or possibly even condoning it, do they do the same things? If so why?

Is it a cross section of employees and managers or just one group?

Is this a demonstration of a general attitude towards safe practice or just bringing 'poor everyday' driving habits into the workplace.

Would any changes to the rules and or facilities help to improve compliance?

Are your rules workable never mind enforceable? How practical will it be going forward to enforce and discipline consistently if you choose that approach?

I am sure there are many other questions to ask and rationalise before going down the 'smack on the back of the hand' approach. On its own it will never improve things.

Once you have this info then you can devise a strategy to improve matters. It feels like it needs a question, consult, communicate, control exercise to me. Good luck.

Generally I am a believer in the softly, softly way, getting the guys on side approach. People will take short cuts because of work pressure or because they don’t really understand what the consequences are not following the correct procedure. Those excuses don’t really wash when it comes to speeding on site. People do because they think they can get away with it …so if a few get caught; the rest will get the message.
Bit harsh but that’s the way it is sometimes

Rowe
I have and currently work on sites where there are speed limits.
Both sites are signed with the speed limits.
These speeds are reiterated at site inductions to both staff and contractors.
Staff who break the speed limits are simply banned from bringing their vehicles on site in to the staff car park. this is relatively easy to do as access is controlled with swipe cards and individuals can have access denied to certain areas/gates such as car park access.
As Invictus says previously, rules are rules, here are the consequences. Break the rule and pay the price.

Mr Fibblle
You are quite correct in what you write.
But I am assuming that a risk assessment has identified why there is a speed limit. there may be FLTs driving around, chemical tankers and pedestrians.
If you have identified risk and conveyed this to your workforce and put in place a speed restriction, what options do you have if they still decide they know better? As I said previously we did not discipline anyone , unless they were out right dangerous, we merely banned them bringing their vehicles on site.

can't see where anyone said sack anyone, but it's typical that we will not stand workers working in an unsafe manner in all industry but we are willing to allow them to create hazards because they are 'not in work yet' if we do not have a responsibility then nothing needs to be done, if we do then we need to hold those people responsible.

quote=A Kurdziel]

Of course you were joking, for a real test you would have had to have used creatures with less common sense than the average employee. Well, when was the last time you noted a beetle with a broken ankle from stepping up a curb or an ant walking into another ant! I admit some cars may be driven by Weevils.

Also just joking, sort of.

How about a tow truck, they will get the idea when they can no longer find their car ( which later turns out to be the other side of town in an NCP car park (other expensive car parks exist).

Still just joking , sort of.

Check why employees do what they do, ie do they need to load up their vehicles etc. Then possibly a campaign of communication, posters briefings etc. Lastly yes disciplinary, the rules are there for a reason and that should be it will not be safe otherwise, not just a whim or it looks untidy.

Chris

Personally I'd carry out a transport risk assessment to cover off this area and then implement my recomendations. That way you can enforce your policy and rules regardless of who owns the car. Depending on what support you have, if they ignored the rules would ban there vehicles from site or go down disciplinary route.

The business has the duty of care for pedestrians and other vehicle on site.