Search
Close this search box.
Sign up for our weekly Newsletter

‘Crash’ course helps managers deal with accidents

driving-at-work-policy

Share

5 November 2015

TRL, the Transport Research Laboratory, has launched a new vehicle accident investigation course for fleet, operation and health and safety managers that should help reduce insurance costs.

What participants will learn:

TRL says they will be able to

  • Capture potentially critical short-lived evidence – such as debris and vehicle fluid trails – from incident scenes;
  • Investigate, understand and take corrective actions following an accident;
  • Support the staff disciplinary process with evidence if necessary;
  • Advise the company’s legal position following an accident;
  • Base future vehicle safety policies, investment and actions on facts.

But said Helen Cotton, safety and technology group manager at TRL, says the crash course for managers “is not about teaching fleet managers how to manage their fleet effectively,” .

“It’s about arming them with the skills needed to investigate and gather facts from accidents. This not only helps to facilitate decision-making and corrective actions, but can inform an organisation’s legal position and help reduce insurance costs.”

With more than a quarter of all road traffic incidents involving people driving for work, the  course is designed to equip those responsible for fleet management with the required skills and knowledge to address issues arising from incidents involving company vehicles and staff.

The two-day Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course will provide participants with everything they need to understand, investigate and assess vehicle accidents, says TRL.

They will be given the introductory skills required to analyse physical evidence and produce conclusions about the circumstances of an accident, with topics covered including health and safety considerations, injury causation, vehicle examination, reconstruction methods and report writing.

Last month chairman of the Institute of Car Fleet Management Paul Hollick called for the institute’s fleet manager qualifications to be the essential industry qualifications required of a fleet decision-maker in a drive to asserting the role of car fleet manager as a widely recognised professional vocation.

Helen Cotton adds: “Even minor injury accidents can result in stress, lost productivity and criminal or civil litigation, so it’s imperative that businesses understand the appropriate steps to take to mitigate these risks,” concluded Cotton.

The CPD Certification Service helps organisations formalise knowledge into a structured and recognised approach to learning.  In order to gain CPD accreditation, the training course went through a rigorous and independent assessment process to verify that all training is delivered to the highest standards and delivers tangible development benefits to participants.

The vehicle accident investigation course is delivered by TRL’s team of highly experienced accident investigators. The team also runs the Department for Transport sponsored RAIDS project, attending the scene of ‘live’ collisions alongside the emergency services to gather vehicle, scene, witness and injury data.

The next training course is scheduled to take place at TRL’s offices in Wokingham on 11 – 12 November 2015. For more information on the course, availability and booking details contact at [email protected] or call 01344 770137.

Share this article

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
WhatsApp
Reddit
Email

Want more motoring news?

Sign up here for our free weekly serving of motoring.

Sign up here for our free weekly serving of motoring.

Latest news

Top