“For all companies with responsibilities for workplace transport and drivers, the first step should be to arrange a risk assessment”

The starting point for all health and safety vehicle-related activity should be an assessment of the risks involved, and Ford fleet customers operating more than 100 vehicles can claim a fleet risk assessment free of charge. Health and safety legislation bestows on all employers a duty of care towards its employees. Crucially, as the Health and Safety Executive’s recent “Driving at Work; Managing Work-Related Road Safety” report makes clear, that legislation includes not only drivers of companyowned vehicles, but all vehicles used on company business, including cash-for-car and pool cars. While there are estimated to be around 20 items of legislation impacting on at-work vehicle use, the three key areas of law are: The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 and 1999 and the Provision of Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1999.

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act, companies have a duty not only to their workforce, but also to outside contractors and members of the public who may be affected by its work activities; under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations employers have a duty to carry out risk assessments, make arrangements to implement necessary measures, appoint competent people and arrange for appropriate information to be dispersed and training to take place; finally under the Provision of Use of Work Equipment Regulations equipment used at work must be safe.

Focus C-Max

“Ford says the Focus C-Max’s handling, steering and braking capabilities help the driver to void an accident in the first place”

For all companies with responsibilities for workplace transport and drivers, the first step should be to arrange a risk assessment. Ranging from a basic fleet risk audit and an informal discussion on areas of concern, to a detailed programme of risk-reducing measures, Drive & Survive tackles all health and safety worries. The free fleet risk assessment involves a meeting with a Drive & Survive representative to discuss and review current policies, procedures and practices. A wide range of document templates will also be provided on a free CD-ROM, which will provide the blueprint for a comprehensive risk assessment process and make recommendations for the next steps.

Policy documents included on the CD-ROM are: vehicle policy and driver policy, mobile phone policy, chairman’s policy statement, alcohol and drug policy and a driver eligibility statement. Historically, the next step, following a risk assessment, was driver training for the whole fleet. While this may still be relevant for some individual drivers, Drive & Survive has developed a web-based tool that allows fleets to assess the risk of all their drivers.

Individual Driver Risk Assessment (IDRA) takes 15 minutes to complete on-line and the results are collated by Drive & Survive and used to form the basis of a report that will identify high-risk drivers and make further recommendations for future actions. It is also available to assess the degree to which an individual driver has concern about specific risk situations.

To arrange a free risk assessment and receive the free CD-ROM
contact the Ford Business Centre on tel: 0845 7232323
To experience the IDRA: visit www.driveandsurvive.co.uk/idra
* * * *

Ford’s newest vehicle is the Focus-based C-Max, which has safety as one of its hallmarks. The Focus has been Britain’s best-selling car for four years and is also the number one fleet car, and the C-Max is the first of a generation of medium-sized Ford cars.

Building on Focus’ class-leading ride and handling, superior ergonomics and innovative use of space, Focus C-Max ensures the best of the best seller is carried forward into a new era. The five-seat vehicle also completes Ford’s range of multi-activity vehicles, offering a choice between the compact, new Ford Fusion and the seven-seat Ford Galaxy multi-purpose vehicle. At the heart of the Focus C-Max safety system is its rigid passenger cell, which has been optimised to retain its shape during a variety of potential impact situations. The body architecture uses underbody and sidebody structures engineered to deflect crash energy away from occupants. Ford says the Focus C-Max’s handling, steering and braking capabilities help the driver to avoid an accident in the first place.

This active safety capability is augmented by the Intelligent Protection System’s electronic driver-aid technologies, including anti-lock braking (ABS) with Electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) and Emergency Brake Assist being standard equipment on all Focus C-Max models. Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), which compares the vehicle’s direction with that of the driver’s inputs and intervenes with the vehicle’s braking or powertrain systems when corrective actions are needed, is optional.

The Intelligent Protection System, pioneered on the Ford Mondeo, supplements these systems with a range of passive safety technologies, including full-sized driver and passenger air bags, side thorax air bags and inflatable side curtains (A to C pillar) air bags, standard on all models. Focus C-Max is fitted with three-point safety belts in all five seating positions, with pyrotechnic front safety belt pretensioners and load-limiting retractors. Extra protection for the driver is provided by a brake and clutch pedal intrusion prevention system and a retracting steering column that breaks away from the driver horizontally during front impact situations. A crash-severity sensor at the centre front of the vehicle provides instantaneous identification of severe impacts and tailored airbag deployment according to the type and severity of the collision. Finally, anti-submarining ramps under the front edges of the seat cushions are designed to position occupants for optimal restraint performance.

In terms of brakes, Ford makes the bold claim that those fitted to the C-Max are best-in-class, with stopping distances of under 40 metres from 62 mph. Featuring elements normally fitted to larger cars, the Focus C-Max brake system provides reassuringly short stopping distances and resistance to fade. Large-diameter, four-wheel brake discs are standard on all models, providing both robust stopping power and enhanced brake pad service life.
* * * *

Anti-lock brakes are now standard on almost every Ford car and commercial vehicle following recent decisions to add the safety feature to Fiesta and Fusion models. Following the standardisation of ABS across the Transit range in the summer (see Roadsafe, summer 2003), the Fiesta and Fusion are the latest vehicles to boast the feature as the company moves to meet 2004 European legislation.

This means that ABS is now standard across all Ford cars, except the Ka, where it is available as an option, including Sportka and Streetka. On commercial vehicles, ABS is optional across the Transit Connect range and optional on Tourneo Connect, although it is standard on the top-of-the-range model. ABS is also standard on the Ford Ranger pick-up.