Hazard management system
An on-demand passenger transport service must be operated safely with an appropriate and effective hazard management procedure to ensure hazards are identified, reported and cleared early.
Management of hazards makes an on-demand service safer by dealing with hazards before they lead to injury or death arising out of an incident
When a Booking Service Provider (BSP) is aware of the hazards affecting their on-demand service, there is an increased likelihood that:
- vehicles used to provide the on-demand service are roadworthy and safe
- their drivers and passengers will have a safe journey and
- other road users are safe on the road.
Why is it important to manage hazards?
It is a Safety Standard that a BSP has a hazard management procedure for their on-demand service.
The Safety Standard exists to ensure that any potential hazard relating to the safety of its on-demand vehicle or driver can be identified, reported and cleared before there is an incident.
An incident is an event that causes an injury or death of a driver, passenger or other road users, damage to a vehicle or vehicle equipment, or disruption to the service.
A BSP is legally required to be aware of hazards to prevent an incident which is dealt within the BSP’s Safety Management System.
What is a hazard?
A hazard is something that can lead to an incident. A hazard can be:
- physically seen such as a bald tyre
- a behaviour such as a driver not following pre-departure inspection policies or
- a practice such as an operator not providing sufficient training when a new type of vehicle enters their fleet.
A hazard (mechanical or electrical fault) relating to a vehicle can be spotted:
- at a pre-departure, roadworthy or safety inspection
- on road by a driver
- by on-road enforcement undertaking a random inspection
- a complaint by a passenger or
- as a result of an incident.
What is hazard management?
A BSP or its responsible operator uses hazard management procedures to spot, report and clear hazards.
Who does it apply to?
Hazard management procedures require everyone in the on-demand service to:
- be responsible for identifying a hazard
- understand that a hazard can be identified at:
- specific points in time and intervals, such as when an on-demand driver or vehicle starts with the service or at the beginning of a shift, or
- at any other time, such as when a vehicle is used.
- have a responsibility to report a hazard to a specific person
What are the components of hazard management?
- A procedure to spot and report a hazard (eg Hazard report form relating to fault reporting relating to:
- a vehicle (example Hazard Management procedure)
- a driver and their driving behaviour, competence or authorisation (example Hazard Management procedure) or
- a passenger’s behaviour (example Hazard Management procedure)
- A procedure to assess whether a hazard is likely to lead to a risk that an incident will happen.
- If yes, then it should be considered as part of the Risk Management Plan
- If no, or there is a minimal risk, the procedure should:
- identify the hazard
- identify an action that will prevent the hazard leading to an incident
- identify whether the action will happen immediately or be deferred, and if deferred – the reason for the deferral
- identify the person who made the decision.
- A procedure to clear a hazard so that when it is cleared, the nature and date the hazard was cleared.
How to put together a hazard management plan?
The complexity of the hazard management procedures will depend on the on-demand service such as its size, where it operates and its performance history around incidents and near misses. There are different ways to develop a hazard management plan. The plan can be simple or tailored for the on-demand service’s needs. One way is to use the hazard management template procedure.