CSS sets out ORSA challenge to its members

CSS (County Surveyors' Society) is launching an initiative to promote the Occupational Road Safety Alliance (ORSA) challenge to its members.

CSS members come from strategic transportation and waste disposal authorities across the UK, including shire counties and unitary authorities in England and Wales and the DRD Roads Service in Northern Ireland. CSS also has an affiliation with Scottish unitary authorities.

The ORSA challenge asks that all employers - large or small, private or public - should seek to develop a systematic approach to managing occupational road risk that is appropriate to their business. Employers are also asked to commit to a cycle of continuous improvement in road safety performance; and ensure that this approach is underpinned by a proactive road safety culture, lead by senior managers with full workforce consultation and participation.

"We must recognise the vital role that we as the local highways authorities play," says Brian Smith, chairman of CSS T&E committee. "We are not only responsible for the safety of road users in our respective counties but are also major employers - responsible collectively for many thousands of staff driving on behalf of our businesses."

New guidelines from HSC/HSE provide a blueprint for all employers, which raises a range of issues that need to be addressed and outlines employers’ obligations.

However local authorities also have their own 'experts' on hand - RSOs have been gearing up to lead on this important safety initiative for some time.

LARSOA has produced the definitive guide to occupational road risk in the form of a CD-based resource, 'Driving your business risk down'. It is intended for large, small and medium sized businesses. "We must encourage wide promotion of this valuable resource but we must not forget to put our own house in order - we should also champion its use within our own organisations," Brian Smith adds.

For further information about CSS visit http://www.cssnet.org.uk.