On the Job: 3 tools to ensure a safe driving culture

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Vehicle safety is the No. 1 concern in most service industries. Most state regulations require a company’s information be clearly visible on the outside of a vehicle when carrying pesticides, which on the plus side, turns your vehicles into a traveling billboard for your business. But if things go wrong, there can be significant risk to your company’s reputation. By focusing on driver safety, you help ensure your company is only in the spotlight for the right reasons, not because of an unfortunate accident that could have been avoided.

There are many ways to begin or strengthen your company’s safe driving culture, including the following.

1. Daily checklist

If you don’t already begin with a daily pre-service safety checklist every morning, start now. This action gives drivers the time to check tire pressure and condition; proper function of all exterior lights; and seatbelt functionality.

Daily inspections should be verified by a more comprehensive vehicle inspection by another employee at least monthly. You also can track regular maintenance and have policies on cell phone usage while driving. There are even companies or apps that will assist you with managing these tasks.

2. Digital reporting

The real safety moments come when the driver is behind the wheel of a moving vehicle — and coincidentally, this is also the time when the most devastating accidents can happen. Partnering with a company offering a digital solution to evaluate driving habits is a valuable option. Monitoring your drivers when they are on their own in the field allows you to truly evaluate what is happening when no one is watching.

Now, I’m not encouraging someone to monitor dots moving on a map and evaluate every move of every person. Rather, having a reporting system allows you to set parameters for alerts on risky behavior such as speeding, cornering and heavy braking. Reports can help identify individual employee driving habits that may require follow-up coaching. This also means, however, that your leaders need to be committed to providing additional training and coaching when opportunities arise.

3. Professional training

Another way to increase driving safety habits is working with a professional driving school program on a regular basis. I participated in a program shortly after joining BASF, and it was an eye-opening experience. The program consisted of a virtual classroom portion prior to an in-person driving session. The in-person session was a series of courses set up in a parking lot that reinforced a multitude of skills needed for real-life situations.

This training is so effective because it’s done using your own vehicle; you’re able to learn what your vehicle feels like when urgent response is needed, all in a controlled environment. Live, individual feedback on your reactions to each situation is provided by instructors, giving you the opportunity to build on that feedback and advance your skills through multiple trips through the course.

Knowing exactly what my vehicle feels like when the anti-lock brake system (ABS) engages or how my driving ability is impacted by texting while driving are just a few of the takeaways I learned after completing the course.

Adding to your company’s existing safety programs to instill a robust safe driving culture might sound expensive, but the cost of chemical spills, injury and reputation damage that can result from accidents costs much more. Partnering with these types
of services can potentially reduce insurance costs for your company, balancing the cost of additional programs.

Committing time and money on your employees to increase their safety in the field shows you care for them and improves their safety behind the wheel, no matter what vehicle they are driving.

<p>The post On the Job: 3 tools to ensure a safe driving culture first appeared on Pest Management Professional.</p>

from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/2024/09/23/on-the-job-3-tools-to-ensure-a-safe-driving-culture/
Sacramento CA