Fleet administrators encouraged to control agency worker risk

The Fleet Safety Forum, a division of road safety charity Brake, has published new guidance for duty-holders labeled Managing Agency Drivers.
The guidance will form a key part of fleet managers' health and safety responsibility, alongside other issues like commercial vehicle roof racks safety.
According to Brake, research shows that agency drivers are definitely more prone to be involved in collisions than in-house drivers.
With a little under 50% – 42 per cent – of UK companies using temporary staff as drivers, the use of agency workers for fleet and commercial van operations is an issue that should be urgently addressed.
The guidance provides advice for fleet managers to reduce risks associated with agency drivers.
IT covers:
Developing an effective working relationship with the driver agency;
Providing agency staff members with rigorous inductions on company safe driving policy and vehicle checks (such as for van roof racks)
Ensuring agency drivers are given the matching spot checks as drivers employed direct by the company
The guidance also features a best practice case study of a fleet operator that has successfully mitigated the risks associated with agency drivers.
Roz Cumming, development manager at Brake, said: "Companies should be aware that they have the same level of responsibility for the safety of agency drivers working for them, as they do for their permanent employees. 
"Managers must approach this proactively and ensure drivers provided by recruitment agencies are appropriately qualified and receive the same training as their own staff. This new e-guidance is a valuable resource for fleet managers and I’d urge anyone who doesn’t already subscribe to sign up to the Fleet Safety Forum to get access to it and many other resources like it.”