Loss Prevention

The Office of Risk Management provides risk management advice to the University community on all aspects of property and liability exposures and provides advice on University contracts and agreements with respect to insurance, indemnification, liability limitations, and loss control.

Vehicle Use

University vehicles are for transportation in the most effective, efficient, and safest way possible for University employees in performing their duties.  The University has policies and procedures regarding drivers and University vehicles. It is the responsibility of each department to ensure compliance with these. 

Vehicle Use Policy

Please visit here to review the full policy.

Driver Responsibilities

View the full policy here. 

Proper Vehicle Use – Driver Responsibilities

PRM-014 Section 7

Policy: Use and Management of University-Owned Vehicles

The driver of the vehicle has ultimate responsibility for seeking and possessing information about driving safety and road regulations.  The driver must:

Have a valid driver’s license, at least 2 years of driving experience, and, if required, appropriate license certification for the type of vehicle he/she is operating.  Grant permission to the University to conduct checks of the driving record with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles or the motor vehicle authority where licensed. Notify the supervisor of any change in license status.

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Never operate a University-owned vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or substances in violation of the law and the University’s policy on the Use of Alcoholic Beverages and Prohibition of Other Drugs. Never drive with any known medical condition that precludes the safe operation of a motor vehicle.  Never use a cell phone while driving a University- or State-owned vehicle (per 4/29/09 memo from Governor Kaine).

vehicle’s keys must never be left with an unoccupied vehicle; driver must take appropriate measures to prevent the theft of University property left in the vehicle; and the vehicle must always be locked at the end of each work shift. Limit passenger transportation to University business. Prohibit passengers from riding in the bed of a truck during operation. Report all accidents.

1. The driver shall utilize the accident packet in the vehicle and follow the instructions noted in Completing Automobile Loss Notice in the Procedure section.   If the accident involving a University-owned vehicle occurred in another state or the District of Columbia, the accident should be reported to the State Police, Highway Patrol, or local police department having jurisdiction.  The driver should obtain the name, address, and policy number of insurers of other involved vehicles and a copy of the accident report and pass this information to his/her immediate supervisor.
2. Follow these steps when parking a University-owned vehicle on a slope where the vehicle has the potential to roll and endanger people or property: Vehicles with 20,000 lbs and higher GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating = vehicle weight plus load weight) when loaded, being loaded, or being unloaded: the driver must make sure to engage the parking brake, make sure the vehicle is in gear for standard transmissions or in park for automatic transmissions, and block the wheels. Vehicles with 9,000lbs and higher GVWR when connected to a loaded trailer or when connected to a trailer being loaded or unloaded: the driver must make sure to engage the parking brake, make sure the vehicle is in gear for standard transmissions or in park for automatic transmissions, and block the trailer wheels. All trailers with GVWR of 4,000lbs or higher, when loaded, being loaded, or being unloaded shall have the trailer tires blocked whenever parked on a slope.
3. Read and adhere to these Driver’s Responsibilities.  (A printed copy is also located in the glove compartment of each University-owned vehicle.)

• Never smoke in any University or State-owned vehicle.
• Park a University-owned vehicle that is not operating properly or presents an unsafe condition and notify the supervisor for further instructions.
• Wear a seat belt at all times while the vehicle is in operation.
• Not leave a University-owned vehicle unattended with the engine running.
• Lock University-owned vehicles at all times prior to leaving the vehicle unattended when locks are available.
• EXCEPTION:  If this would significantly impact fulfillment of the department’s mission, then the Department Head may exercise judgment and grant necessary exceptions provided the following are adhered to by the driver.  

 

Passenger Transport

For drivers who transport passengers in owned or Rented/Leased vehicles on behalf of the University of Virginia.

Drivers of large passenger vehicles or vehicles that hold more than 8 occupants, who will be transporting passengers should have a CDL* or meet the following requirements:

1. Drivers who have not had previous experience with a particular vehicle should spend an adequate amount of time driving that vehicle prior to transporting passengers, preferably in various types of traffic conditions, so that they become thoroughly familiar with the vehicle, and, when possible, accompanied by a driver with experience driving the same type of vehicle.
2. Students who are not also University employees should not transport passengers in these vehicles.
3. Minimum age of the driver should be 21 unless the driver has a CDL or EVOC Certification. Every driver should of course possess a valid United States driver's license.
4. Drivers should have a minimum of two years driving experience.
5. It is preferable that a driver's motor vehicle report not show two or more at fault accidents and/or serious moving violations in the past year, nor three or more at fault accidents and/or serious moving violations in the past three years. There should be no violations related to alcohol or drugs in the past five years. If the transcript reveals more than what is suggested above, it is up to the discretion of department heads whether to allow the driver to transport passengers on behalf of the University. Human Resources will perform a driver's transcript check by request on employees. If you have particular situations you would like to discuss, please feel free to contact Property & Liability Risk Management for further guidance.

Drivers of smaller vehicles than those described in #1 above who will be transporting passengers should consider the guidelines in 1 above. However, in lieu of requesting a DMV report, you may ask the driver to show a valid United States driver's license and to tell you about his/her driving record. If a driver will be transporting students, it is recommended that a DMV report be requested as indicated in item 5 above. Non-employees under 21 should not be transporting passengers on behalf of the University. Avoid the use of students as drivers who are not employees.

 

*CDL (Commercial Driver's License) is required when driving a vehicle that can transport more than 15 passengers.

Trailers

Purchasing

Because a tow vehicle and a trailer form an articulated (hinged) vehicle, weight considerations are very important to safe towing. The tow vehicle must be a proper match for the trailer.  Also, the 7-pin RV-style wiring connector is the preferred style for both tow vehicles and trailers.

All trailers must be registered through Parking & Transportation and insured through the Office of Property & Liability Risk Management.

Use Guidelines for Trailers

University Policies

The Office of Property & Liability Risk Management seeks to minimize the adverse effects of accidental losses to the University and ensure that policies are maintained and understood.

Volunteers

Volunteers are permitted provided they have authorization by the University, which means there must be written documentation (Volunteer Terms of Service) to support this authorization, signed by the Sponsoring Manager and Volunteer, as well as the Parent/Guardian, if the volunteer is a minor. It is important to make certain that you have and maintain this documentation that indicates someone is a volunteer on behalf of your department. Likewise, you have a duty to educate volunteers about any foreseen hazards they may encounter during their service on behalf of your department.

Documentation giving permission is important for future reference in the event that something occurs, such as a claim or lawsuit brought against the volunteer and/or the University because of the volunteer's negligence in causing an injury to someone or causing damage to someone's property. For the Commonwealth to provide legal defense and insurance protection for our volunteers, there needs to be a clear documentation trail indicating their status as a volunteer agent of the University.

Helpful Hints for Volunteer Terms of Service Completion

Available Guidance

Fair Labor Standards Act and similar regulations – UVA Human Resources Employee Rights information

Accident Review Committee

The University Accident Review Committee evaluates each accident in which a University-owned vehicle is involved and some accidents in which a rented or motorized-utility vehicle is involved. After thoroughly reviewing all of the material concerning each accident, the review committee determines whether the accident was Preventable, Not-Preventable, or an Incident, based upon the definitions of the criteria provided by the Department of State Police. After an accident is evaluated and classified by the committee, it is forwarded to the appropriate Vice President or designee of the employee involved. 

Overview and Purpose

This describes the general responsibilities of the University Accident Review Committee and the responsibilities of the University community in complying with the Provisions of Section 52-4, of the Code of Virginia, of 1950 as Amended, Memo-2001-No. 10 which requires each state agency to form an Accident Review Committee to review accidents that involve agency-owned vehicles. Penalties may be prescribed for the drivers involved, if the accidents were "Preventable". Additionally, all state agencies are required to submit an annual report to the Department of State Police, indicating the number of accidents falling within the categories of "Preventable", "Not-Preventable", or "Incident", defined in accordance with State Police guidelines. This program is established to emphasize the importance of safe driving, to develop a sense of responsibility among all employees in the operation of agency-owned vehicles, to reduce the number of vehicle accidents, to assign accountability, and to create an awareness of the need to drive defensively at all times. 

Accident Committee Structure and Guidelines

The University Accident Review Committee shall be comprised of at least three members of the University community from departments with significant fleets of vehicles and the Committee shall meet monthly, or as needed, to evaluate each accident in which an University-owned vehicle is involved. The committee will meet whenever the review of an accident involving a University-owned vehicle requires the committee's review.  The Office of Property & Liability Risk Management will provide the committee with the available information and documentation on all accidents needing to be reviewed from the period prior to the committee meeting. After thoroughly reviewing all of the material concerning each accident, the review committee shall evaluate each accident as Preventable, Not-Preventable, or Incident based upon the following criteria: It shall be considered a Preventable accident when the operator of the vehicle is found to have been guilty of contributory negligence. The accident shall be considered Not-Preventable when it has been determined that the operator of the state-owned vehicle did not contribute to the accident. Those cases resulting from natural forces, from acts by other than human sources, from a deliberate act (e.g., vandalism), from a non-perceivable object, or while the vehicle is properly parked shall be classified as an incident and not considered an accident.

Where the committee identifies other remedial action that might be taken (training, vehicle modifications, etc.), it may make such recommendations to the appropriate vice president or designee. The Property & Liability Risk Management Office will retain records of the activities of the University Accident Review Committee. The driver may appeal the decision of the committee by providing written statement to the committee with the reasons why he or she thinks the committee's recommendation should be changed. If the driver is not satisfied with the committee's decision in response to the appeal, then he or she may appeal the decision to his/her vice president, who may elect to have the Virginia State Police review the accident and provide their recommendations (per VSP Memo-2001-No.10 Revised-section VI) before making a final decision regarding the appeal.

Gifts of Property

Gifts of property that have been received by a school from its related foundation must be documented, as outlined in the policy noted in the next paragraph.  If there is no documentation of ownership by the University, then if a loss of that gifted property occurs the claim cannot be honored.  It is the responsibility of the department suffering the loss to provide evidence that the property belongs to the University in order to receive insurance compensation for the loss.  Not recording such assets can result in the property not being insured properly and also will result in understating the assets of the University.

The University has a policy and procedures for recording gifts of property received from donors outside of the University such as alumni, friends, and corporations.  For more information on these policies, we refer you to University Policy EXT-006. - (http://uvapolicy.virginia.edu/policy/EXT-006).  The procedure is structured such that the donor gets a gift receipt and the University obtains the information necessary to record the property in the accounting records.

Property from University-related foundations should be handled in a similar manner to gifts of property received from outside donors. 

Contract Review

Contracts, agreements, and procurement provisions are reviewed by the Property & Liability Risk Management staff in an effort to protect the University from potential financial losses in its interactions with outside organizations.

Please visit here for details on the contract review process. 

Vehicle Use

University vehicles are for transportation in the most effective, efficient, and safest way possible for University employees in performing their duties. The University has policies and procedures regarding drivers and University vehicles. It is the responsibility of each department to ensure compliance with these.

Please visit here to review full policy.  

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