Employee Driving Responsibilities Quiz

As the vehicle owner, the employee must ensure the vehicle is operated and maintained consistent with requirements in the Motor Vehicle Act and its Regulations (and others if the vehicle is used commercially). Their employer also has responsibilities to confirm the vehicle is capable of safely performing the functions for which it is used. So, when an employee drives their vehicle for work, they should expect their employer to ask them for inspection and maintenance records that show the vehicle is insured and operated consistent with Motor Vehicle Act requirements, and company policy. Employees should also expect their supervisor to conduct periodic vehicle spot checks.

The Occupational Health and Safety Regulation requires that a person must not operate a vehicle unless they have demonstrated to a qualified supervisor or instructor that they can competently operate that vehicle. Usually, the best way for the employer to verify competency is to periodically assess each driver’s skills and behaviours, and provide necessary instruction and training to fill in any competency gaps.

The Workers Compensation Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation identify overlapping responsibilities for employers, supervisors and employees. For example, the WCA specifies that all three parties have broad responsibilities to ensure employee health and safety. Employers and supervisors are accountable to let employees know about known and reasonably foreseeable driving hazards; employees have a duty to tell their employer or supervisor about hazards and unsafe conditions as soon as they are aware of them. Practically, none of the three parties can do an effective job of meeting their legal responsibilities without the active cooperation of the others.

Section 116 of the Workers Compensation Act states that employees have a responsibility to make sure that their ability to work without risk to themselves or to any other person is not impaired by alcohol, drugs or other causes. Being too tired or fatigued impairs a person’s ability to drive.

Employees have a duty to refuse legitimately unsafe driving. Part 3.12 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation requires that a person must not carry out any driving if they have reasonable cause to believe that to do so would create an undue hazard to the health and safety of any person.