Understanding Employer Road Safety Obligations

To be successful, every employer needs to understand the laws that apply to their operations, and what they must do to satisfy those requirements. In Canada, requirements pertaining to workplace road safety are contained in a small number of provincial and federal Acts and Regulations. Collectively, they identify the legal obligations of owners, employers, supervisors and drivers relative to work-related driving.

Purpose and Learning Objectives

Focussing on employers in British Columbia, this course identifies those Acts and Regulations that specify workplace requirements for road safety, and explains how they apply to employers. The purpose of this course is to provide employers that have employees who drive for work with a practical understanding of which of those statutes apply to their workplaces, how they apply, what employers can do to satisfy requirements, and where they can access resources to help them build and implement necessary measures and actions.

At the end of the course, you will be able to:

1. Identify the legal obligations employers have relative to road safety;
2. Identify which statutes apply to your organization by articulating general implications they have for your operations;
3. Develop necessary road safety measures or mechanisms employers should have in place to comply with legal requirements , with a focus on WorkSafeBC regulations;
4. Locate and access Road Safety At Work resources to address road safety obligations.

Course layout

There are two categories (or groupings) of the legislation important to road safety.

1. Health and safety legislation (such as Workers Compensation Act and Canada Labour Code) describes broad and specific legal obligations that employers must meet to ensure worker safety in their workplaces, including any vehicle used for work-related purposes.
2. Motor vehicle legislation (such as Motor Vehicle Act and Commercial Transportation Act) deals with driver licensing, vehicle insurance and driving offences. They also describe more specific requirements about how vehicles must be equipped, maintained and operated.

This course has three lessons.

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In this course you will gather information using a variety of resources (text, video, and infographics) and complete practical challenges that help you understand employer road safety obligations, and appreciate what you can do to satisfy those obligations. This course should take approximately 60 – 90 minutes to complete.