SAFE TRANSPORTATION

Employees report to Mains’l the following as soon as they occur:

1. Any auto accident that involves a person receiving services
2. Any auto accident that involves an employee during their work time
3. Any auto accident, damage to, or maintenance need involving an agency owned vehicle.
4. Loss of ability to drive, including a suspended or revoked license, no car insurance, lack of an operable vehicle.
5. Issues or concerns about supplies or equipment that is used to transport a person who receives our services
6. Any tickets or tows while working. Please note that parking tickets or tows from towing zones for employees that occur while driving on the job are not paid by Mains’l. They are the responsibility of the employee. 

Employees who drive for work purposes:

1. Maintain the vehicle in safe working order with an adequate supply of fuel.  (1/4 tank minimum in winter).
2. Wear seatbelts at all time when driving for work and ensure any passengers in the vehicle are also wearing seatbelts.
3. Use defensive driving techniques.  
4. Demonstrate safe driving habits.
5. Not be on medications that impair your ability to drive.
6. Willing and able to evacuate the person or people they are driving if necessary.
7. Check first aid kits to be sure full stocked in agency vehicles.
8. Use hands free driving. This includes:
   
   1. Don’t use cellular phones while driving. (Minnesota and California state law).
   2. Don’t text while driving (Minnesota and California state law).

Assistive techniques:

When people need assistance the following techniques are used:

1. Provide physical support when necessary.
2. Assist with the use of any ramp or step stools.
3. Properly secure all supplies and equipment (i.e. wheelchairs) before driving
4. Assist with seatbelts, as needed, so they are correctly fastened.
5. Follow seat belt and child passenger restraint system laws.

Driver eligibility guidelines:

To ensure safe transportation, employees who drive for work purposes:

1. Have a valid driver’s license from the state in which they live without any current revocation or suspension
2. Report to the HR Generalist any status changes or written violations, including speeding, that occur following the initial driving record check.  Failure to report any changes may result in disciplinary action up to and including separation.  Mains'l also reserves the right to check any staff driver’s driving record at any time to assure continued driver eligibility.
3. Having valid insurance coverage is important when driving for Mains’l. To ensure coverage in case of an accident, any employee who is eligible to drive either a company vehicle or their own vehicle for work purposes will be asked to provide a copy of their personal auto insurance. Employees will be assigned a task through Sandata to send in their most current auto insurance card and expiration date as it occurs. Mains’l also reserves the right to check any staff driver’s insurance validation at any time to assure continued driver eligibility. If an employee does not have their own personal insurance they may still be able to drive for Mains’l using a company vehicle.

If circumstances occur where employees are not able to furnish personal auto coverage. the employee will need an exemption on file and should contact their manager and HR for more information.

A state department of motor vehicle report is processed for each potential driver. Mains’l may check employee driving records at any time to verify driver suitability.  Mains'l follows the recommendations of our commercial general liability insurance company on driving histories as to the eligibility of the employee to drive the vehicle.

Driver’s licenses are not required for working at Mains'l, however not having one limits employment options for those employees.  This can even result in separation of employment if no acceptable position exists where driving is not required.

Mains’l uses a ten (10) point aggregate system. Points are assigned for each driving infraction in one’s history. Employees with driving records of ten (10) points or more within the look-back period are considered to be an ineligible driver for employment purposes. The look-back period is three years for all violations.

10 Point System

Use of an employee owned vehicle for work

At work sites where no agency owned vehicles or modes of transportation, such as buses, are not available or appropriate, use of employee vehicles to transport a person receiving services is permitted.

1. Requirements: The following are requirements when an employee uses their own vehicle to transport a person we support.

• Keep the vehicle well maintained and in good working order.
• Report immediately any mechanical concerns to the manager.
• Use only vehicles registered in the employee’s name or that of an immediate family member. 
• Never use a borrowed vehicle to transport a person we support.
• Report to the manager if you purchase a different vehicle.
• Report to the manager that day if you arrived to work in a borrowed vehicle. 

2. If damage occurs to an employee owned vehicle: When there is damage to an employee’s vehicle, the following guidelines apply:

• The employee writes and submits an incident report to the manager.
• If the person receiving services caused the damage Mains’l will cover the cost of repair.
• There is no coverage for the physical damage to an employee-owned vehicle under the Mains’l Business Auto policy. This applies whether an employee was alone in the vehicle or was transporting a client. Every employee is responsible for the damage to their personally owned vehicle and should make sure that they carry comprehensive and collision coverage if they want the physical damage to their vehicle repaired. If the other driver is at-fault for the accident it is possible that the employee’s personal auto insurance may subrogate against the responsibly insurance and recover the deductible.
• When an employee is driving their own vehicle for work, Mains’l Business Auto insurance is secondary over the employee’s personal auto insurance for liability when the employee is at-fault for an accident. This means that the employee will need to first make a claim under their own personal insurance policy and if their personal limits are exhausted, then Mains’l policy would be triggered.

Use of an agency owned vehicle:

1. When agency vehicles are provided: Mains'l provides agency owned vehicles for selected work sites.  Agency owned vehicles are used for the transportation of the people we support, and are not for the personal use of the employee. Use of Agency Owned Vehicles, without pre-approval from a manager, will result in immediate separation. Drivers are responsible for the security of agency vehicles assigned to them.
2. Age requirements: All drivers of agency vehicles should be 21 years of age or older.  Drivers under 21 years of age may operate low seating capacity (8 or less) vehicles if they have no MVR infractions. This includes both minor and major infractions. If a driver under the age of 21 has any MVR infractions, they will be disqualified from driving until they are able to meet the driving requirements. Agency vehicles typically include passenger automobiles, mini vans and full size vans.  Drivers of 15 passenger vans must be 25 years of age or older.
3. Safe Driving Training: All Driver’s of Mains’l will partake in safe driving training through Mains’l. This training is assigned at the beginning of employment and is taken annually. Employees who work at a CRS home will be assigned a similar training that is combined with home maintenance topics.
4. GPS Trackers: It is a requirement of the agency’s insurance carrier that all agency owned vehicles have a GPS tracker. These transponders have been supplied by our insurance company and are installed in all agency vehicles. The GPS monitoring system will collect data during all hours of operation. Information from GPS system will not be used or disclosed for purposes other than those for which it was collected, except with the consent of the individual or as required by law.
   
   1. Use of Retention of Data: The company reserves the right to report information gained from the GPS system to comply with requirements from our insurance company or law enforcement. Information may also be viewed in cases of emergency for the protection of all vehicle passengers. At no time will persons other than those designated by Mains’l have access to the data collected during surveillance.
   2. Enforcement: Employees who fail to follow this policy or who use GPS data inappropriately will be subject to disciplinary sanctions, up to and including termination.
   3. GPS Surveillance Consent Form: All employees will be required to sign the “GPS Surveillance Policy & Consent Form” before operating a Mains’l owned vehicle.

While using an agency vehicle:

1. Record beginning and ending odometer reading on the mileage log.
2. Shut off the engine, remove the keys and lock the doors if leaving the vehicle unattended
3. Have agency vehicles which transport wheelchairs and have lifts or ramps inspected by Minnesota State Patrol each year when the inspection dates and locations are announced.
4. Apply the state patrol inspection sticker to the windshield.  

Manager responsibilities:

1. Keep agency owned vehicles in good condition, performing necessary inspections, service and documentation. 
2. Managers make sure agency vehicles contain the following:
   
   1. Emergency phone numbers including site, manager, senior manager, and a towing company.
   2. First aid kit and first aid handbook
   3. Proof of insurance card
   4. Vehicle registration card
   5. Current license tabs
   6. Written vehicle accident protocol
3. All agency vehicles which transport wheelchairs and ramps or lifts will have properly working securement belts and web cutters.
4. If either the insurance card or the license tabs are expired, the manager contacts the Customer Specialist at the main office and the missing document will be replaced as soon as possible.

Vehicle accidents (Accident Protocol): 

If an employee has an accident while working:

1. The employee remains at the scene of the accident and calls 911 to report the accident. The employee does not leave the scene of the accident until the police officer has either dismissed the parties involved or, in cases where the police will not respond, the employee and the other driver, if that is the case, have exchanged names, addresses (use Mains’l office for agency owned vehicles), telephone numbers (use work number for agency owned vehicles), license plate numbers, and insurance company contact information.
2. In cases where the police respond, the employee asks the police officer for a business card and a case number.
3. The employee immediately reports the accident to the supervisor, who reports the accident to the Senior Manager. 
4. All accidents with agency owned vehicles are reported to the agency’s commercial, general liability insurance company by the Senior Manager working together with Administration.
5. The employee completes the required paperwork which may include an employee incident/accident report.
6. Mains'l conducts an investigation, which may result in the employee being disqualified from driving any agency vehicle.

Training on agency vehicles:

1. Training will occur for all people who are unfamiliar with wheelchair transports, who work at sites where a person uses a wheelchair, in the use of securement belts to properly secure passengers in wheel chairs. 
2. The manager, once trained, trains all new staff in the use of restraint belts and reports the training completion list of employees to human resources.
3. The manager confirms that all team members are familiar with, and follow, the procedures as outlined in this document

Agency owned vehicle maintenance:

In California:

1. For routine maintenance please check with the manager. The location for maintenance may vary depending on dealership coverage.
2. All agency vehicles are repaired at Affordable Automotive 2106 Park Avenue Chico, CA 95928 530-892-1774.

In Minnesota:

1. All agency vehicles are serviced at Noble Mobil, 9500 Noble Parkway, Brooklyn Park, MN; 763-315-2886; Cornerstone Chevrolet, Intersection of I-94 and State Highway 25, Monticello, MN; or other designated and approved sites.  
2. Services include preventative maintenance (oil changes, tire rotations, transmission flushes, etc.), inspections, and repairs.  Any exceptions to this procedure are approved by the maintenance technician.
3. In the event of roadside breakdown, employees may contact the maintenance technician or call Nobile Mobile at 763-315-2886.  If after hours, Noble Mobil may direct you to call City Wide Towing at 763-424-4900. If directed to call City Wide Towing report this information immediately to the manager.  After hours towing, car start, flat fixing services are through City Wide Towing who will perform the service and submit an invoice for payment to the vice president of administration.
   
   1. Managers arrange all necessary vehicle repairs and services (including scheduled oil changes, tire replacement, mechanical repairs, etc.), on a timely basis. 
   2. If the manager needs assistance in assessing or scheduling repairs, they may contact the Mains’l maintenance technician. 
   3. All invoices, including all receipts, are submitted to the maintenance technician for coding and recording, who will forward to the accounts payable manager for payment.  If advised of repairs that are in excess of $250.00, while having routine maintenance completed, the manager contacts the Mains’l maintenance technician.  The maintenance technician advises whether to proceed with the repair or offer other direction.

Managers and/or support coordinators are directed to periodically inspect the agency vehicle for dents and verify that the lights, wipers, signal and horn work all work.

Disability Parking Permits: 

1. Used only in agency vehicle for transporting physically disabled persons receiving services.
2. Disabled people must apply for their own individual permit in their name
3. Mains’l keeps a list of which permits go to which sites
4. Mains’l keeps copies of the certificate letters with each permit
5. Copies of each letter are sent to the respective manager to review with their staff
6. Permits must be displayed by hanging from the rearview mirror

Agency Vehicle Inspections: 

The Maintenance Committee inspects all agency vehicles and log books during regularly scheduled routine inspections.  Any corrective action will be documented and forwarded to the manager.

This policy and procedure is reviewed during orientation and on an annual basis by employees who provide transportation.

Revised by HR Policy Team 7/2022