Nicola Jaynes has worked for HSE since 2002 as one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Health and Safety. She has worked in many areas of HSE including construction, asbestos licensing and fairgrounds.

Her current role in HSE’s Transport Sector involves leading on transport and logistics matters at a national level across Great Britain with employers, trade associations, trade unions and other agencies and authorities. She is responsible for setting HSE’s operational policy in certain sectors within transport and producing guidance.

Nicola’s portfolio includes being HSE’s lead for ports and docks, aviation, warehousing, work related road risk - and her newest area of interest is how the area will develop looking at areas including net-zero, autonomy and AI.

She has worked to create new guidance on work related road risk and the new webpages on the HSE website were launched on 6 September 2021. her aim is to further develop guidance in this area and keep the guidance current.

Presentation: Driving and riding safely for work

An employer must manage health and safety risks to workers who drive a vehicle or ride a motorcycle, other powered two-wheeler or bicycle on the road as part of a work activity. Health and safety law applies to work activities on the road in the same way as it does on a fixed site.

For most people, driving will be the most dangerous activity they do. It is estimated that one third of all road traffic collisions (RTCs) in Britain involve someone driving as part of their job, and countless other RTCs involving people travelling to or from their place of work.

Although the risks associated with driving cannot be completely controlled, an employer has a responsibility to take all reasonable steps to manage these risks and do everything reasonably practicable to protect people from harm. Those responsibilities also apply to anyone engaged to work for an organisation including the gig economy, limb (b) workers and those that are self-employed. This also applies to company vehicles and grey fleet, two wheeled vehicles (powered or otherwise).