Rank: New forum user 
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Hi All
I am seeking general advice on workers that work off site and in particular drive for long periods: We employ a team of Key Account Managers (Sales Reps) and a Technical Manager who spend the vast majority of their time working off site visiting customers and generally growing the business. All of these people have opted out of the Working Time Regulations for maximum hours. My questions are:
- Is there a maximum number of hours they can legally work, bearing in mind all of them drive up to 35,000 miles per year
- Because they drive (cars and a small van), what are the recommended rest periods
- Are these people restricted in terms of the number of hours that they drive continuously without a break
- These people sometimes work from their home offices. Do we have to risk assess this office and the home work activity
- I am struggling to find a suitable standard risk assessment template for peripatetic workers that we could use, could anyone point me in the right directions
Any thoughts would me much appreciated... Thanks
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Rank: Super forum user
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There is now case law about driving for work, especially people working excessive hours. Essentially if an employer allows (let alone encourages) employees to drive excessive hours and they have an accident they will be held liable. See http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg382.pdf for more information. There is also a general duty of care if employees have to work away from the office eg at home. How far this goes is up for discussion but I would look at: - Can they physically work from home eg have they enough space etc. Is the electric supply suitable?
- If they are using IT equipment such as a laptop is its use managed. Again are you doing something to make sure that they are not expected to work excessive hours on devices which are really not intended for long term use- look at http://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/faq-dse.htm section about laptops for more advice
- If you do supply them with any other equipment to use for work make sure that they know how to use it safely, that it is suitable for them and their work. More info here http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg226.pdf
I did have a peripatetic workers risk assessment proforma for my last job but it has been lost since I moved
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 1 user thanked A Kurdziel for this useful post.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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1 user thanked Elfin Davy 09 for this useful post.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Unless they are all carrying a lot of equipment, I'd be surprised if there wasn't an inherently safer way of getting around that is probably also economically sounder.
For example, we've got staff who attempted to justify repeated one hour drives to a major project with which they will be involved for many years. So all we did was duplicate equipment and PPE and get the client to give us somewhere to store same. Then entirety of travel could be by public transport. Result - staff arrived much more refreshed.
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1 user thanked peter gotch for this useful post.
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