Rules on road safety - travel at work

Purpose

Karolinska Institutet (KI) shall, as far as possible, prevent employees from being affected by ill-health and accidents when travelling with their own or provided vehicles at work. The present rules ( Ref.no: 1-716/2018) also constitute KI's traffic safety policy, which the Swedish Work Environment Authority states that all employers should have in their systematic work environment management.

Scope

The rules include employees who have an agreement to regularly use their own or KI-provided vehicles for travel and transports at work. The rules do not include business trips or students travellling with their own vehicles within the framework of their education.

Responsibility for the immediate manager for the staff

Every year, as a part of the systematic work environment management, together with the safety representative, inventory and identify risks that employees can be exposed to in traffic. • Implement the measures needed to minimize the risks. • Ensure that employees have knowledge of risks associated with the use of vehicles in the work. • That suitable and safe vehicles are used for e.g. transport of goods or persons at work. • When employees are planned to travel with their own or provided vehicle at work, make sure they receive information about the current rules. • Follow up on how it works (e.g. at regular work meetings and in development dialogues).

Co-worker responsibility

Have the necessary and valid driving license for the vehicle type in question. • Respect that alcohol must never be consumed during working hours or in any way affect the work. Anyone who uses medication that can cause drowsiness and other symptoms (as described on the product sheet) that compromise road safety must not drive vehicles, but shall immediately inform their immediate manager of their medication. • Handle mobile telephony in accordance with Chapter 4. Section 10 in the Traffic Ordinance (2017:1284). This means, among other things, to use a hands-free function in the car. • Stay refreshed and take the breaks and pauses required to drive the vehicle safely, for longer journeys. • Use bicycle helmets when cycling is used for work trips. • Report traffic incidents to the immediate manager in accordance with KI's procedures for incident reporting

Vehicle-car

Private vehicles used in the work must have at least the following equipment unless special reasons permit exceptions to these rules:

ABS brakes. • Airbags and belt tensioners on both the driver's seat and the passenger seat • Three-point safety belt on driver's seat and all passenger seats • Electronic stability control • Tires with the right air pressure and approved pattern depth and during winter time approved winter tires. • A safety equipment, which includes at least warning vest, flashlight and first aid equipment

The prerequisite for being able to use a private vehicle at work is that it is properly equipped through the owner's care. If the requirements above cannot be met, alternative means of transport shall be discussed with the immediate manager.

Applicable laws and provisions

Work environment act and Work environment ordinance AFS 2001:1 Systematic work environment management