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Who Has the Keys?
How to protect your company and employees
by emphasizing driver safety on the road and at the jobsite,
with close monitoring and ongoing training
By David Jankiewicz and Dan Shive
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| Having vehicles routinely serviced
is especially important in construction, where jobsites
expose vehicles to much higher levels of dust and dirt. |
Safety in the workplace has emerged as one of the top issues
facing business executives today, particularly those in construction.
Federal laws clearly require employers to provide a safe work
environment for all employees, and 26 states have adopted
their own workplace safety standards and enforcement policies.
What does that mean for you? Simply put, it means the days
of blindly handing out keys to your employee-drivers are over.
When examining your own worker safety policies, your primary
concerns should be the safety of your drivers and the condition
of their vehicles, both on the road and at the jobsite.
Driver safety must be emphasized across the board. Not only
should your company take aggressive steps to monitor potential
safety issues, it should also make safety the focus of new
employee training. Statistics indicate that ongoing training
reduces the number and severity of driver accidents over time.
Some of the safety practices construction executives can
implement include:
> Collecting and verifying the motor vehicle records of
your driver-employees. Typically, about two-thirds of drivers
have relatively clear driver histories, but about 25% will
present some degree of risk on the road, and between 5 and
7% will be revealed as high-risk drivers with multiple infractions.
> Not skimping on the maintenance of company vehicles.
Having cars and trucks routinely serviced ensures that they
stay in good working order. This is especially important in
the construction industry, where jobsites generally expose
vehicles to much higher levels of dust and dirt, which shorten
the intervals between oil changes, replacement of air and
fuel filters and other maintenance.
> Keeping complete and accurate files on all fleet vehicles.
Hire a fleet management provider to monitor fleet maintenance
and ensure vehicles are inspected regularly.
> Reading the factory guidelines for each company vehicle
in your fleet and requiring your drivers to do the same. The
safety guidelines listed in a vehicle manual are there for
a reason. Most vehicle specifications outline the loads the
vehicle can safely carry. Your employees may think they can
push those limits and occasionally overload a work vehicle,
but an unbalanced load is an unsafe load.
> Putting a system in place that assigns consequences
to unsafe drivers in your work force. Analyze your drivers
and look for repeat offenders. Implementing consequences for
unsafe driving protects employees, other drivers and your
company, and it levels the playing field. A top sales executive
with an unsafe driving record is just as liable for his or
her actions as the new construction foreman or summer intern.
> Implementing a point assignment program that ranks your
drivers according to the severity of previous motor vehicle
infractions. After conducting an MVR search, assign points
to each infraction to determine each driver's overall risk.
> Providing drivers with training opportunities, so that
poor driving behavior can be ad-dressed and changed immediately
and good behavior can be rewarded.
As your construction company grows, so will your vehicle
fleet. Consider partnering with a fleet management company
to assist with related issues-and possibly save money and
manpower in the long run.
Construction Site Driving
Safety Tips:
Construction sites are notorious for the hazards they
pose to cars and trucks. Potential issues to keep in
mind include:
> Construction companies frequently push their vehicles
way beyond their limits. Ignoring routine maintenance
specifications will ultimately cost more in the long
run and potentially lead to safety issues for which
your company could be held liable.
> Construction vehicles typically spend a great
deal of time idling, which shortens the length of time
between maintenance cycles.
> Discourage parking behind heavy equipment, as
the operator may not see smaller vehicles.
> If employees typically carry large loads, make
certain those loads are properly secured, especially
when traveling over difficult terrain.
> The ground surrounding excavation holes may be
unstable. Workers should not park near these sites.
If a vehicle becomes stuck near these areas, workers
should use proper towing procedures rather than rocking
the vehicle in an attempt to dislodge it. Doing so could
cause the transmission to overheat, which could ruin
it.
> Construction sites are covered with loose debris.
Driving over small items may puncture tires. Use caution
in driving through these areas and consider purchasing
the heaviest-ply tires you can fit on a vehicle.
> Since construction terrain often is muddy, for
maximum traction, an all-terrain tire should be used
and replaced at a higher-tread reading than normal.
> Avoid turning on steep terrain, as vehicles may
tip over.
> Driving repeatedly through mud and water requires
more frequent transmission service. These conditions
can also cause brakes to become wet or coated with mud,
so make sure your vehicle can make a full and proper
stop before pulling onto a main road.
> Depending on a vehicle's typical load, drivers
may need additional safety requirements such as headache
racks/screens. These prevent cargo from breaking through
the rear window and causing harm to the vehicle operator.
> Construction vehicles typically are equipped with
strobe lights, hydraulic cranes and buckets, auxiliary
power supplies, generators and other equipment that
require more frequent repair and maintenance, so plan
accordingly.
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Tips For Running An
Effective Fleet Safety Program:
> Do your homework. Know your drivers and evaluate
their risk behind the wheel.
> Implement a safety policy. This sets specific
guidelines for acceptable and unacceptable driving behavior.
> Enforce your policy. From the top down, drivers
must be held accountable.
> Be proactive. Address poor driving behavior with
training opportunities and reward good driving habits
that save your company money.
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David Jankiewicz is the manager of maintenance
and repair management at LeasePlan USA. He has been
with the company seven years.
www.us.leaseplan.com
Dan Shive is vice president of risk management
services at LeasePlan USA. He has more than 15 years
of experience in the fleet industry and has been with
the company for 13 years.
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