Changes to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulations last October have made safety in the heavy vehicle industry the concern of everyone involved in the road transport supply change, not just the driver. The practical effect of this is that anyone involved in any transport task with heavy vehicles could be held legally responsible should anything go wrong, or indeed for any breach of the road laws, even though they weren’t driving. If you’re in the heavy vehicle industry safety on the job has never been more important, and now it’s everybody’s responsibility. When it comes to safety nothing beats a methodical approach to the task. What’s needed is a carefully developed safety policy enjoying the wholehearted commitment of everyone involved from the boss down to the shop floor.
Here are four steps to take for safer fleets:
Regular Maintenance
Regular maintenance is vital to ensure that every vehicle in your fleet is working at maximum efficiency and as safely as possible. Ensuring this can be quite a task unless you hand the job over to experienced full-time professionals. Fleetcare’s dedicated team of maintenance controllers ensure you get the support you need right around the clock to ensure repairs and maintenance are carried out exactly when they should be. All the information you need on every maintenance and repair will be right there at your fingertips whenever you need it within your Fleetmanager portal.
Thinksafe SAM
Spot the hazard, Assess the risk, Make the changes. Risk assessment is vital for any work activity and is especially important for a business that’s on the road. First, carry out a risk assessment of your drivers then identify and document any potential hazards they face. Finally, make any necessary changes to protect them and other road users from danger. Make that a major feature of your safety policy all year round and you’ll be well on your way to a safer fleet.
Monitor driving behaviour
Watching your drivers’ behaviour is important, but how do you do that? Telematics is the answer allowing you to keep your two most important assets safe; your people and your vehicles. Through data monitoring Fleetcare’s integrated Telematics solution gives you the tools you need to monitor your drivers and correct any bad habits, like speeding, over-revving and other harsh driving behaviour. Telematics is the future of fleet management and it’s available right now through Fleetcare Telematics.
Reward good performance
Designing a safety incentive program that rewards good, safe driving behaviour and encourages constant improvement will motivate your employees to do the right thing. Consider rewarding your safest drivers with gift vouchers or perhaps the chance to knock off work early. Australia’s roads are dangerous workplaces and employers have a responsibility to make that workplace as safe as possible. Creating a comprehensive fleet safety policy, monitoring driver behaviour and nurturing a safety culture are all vital to achieving that.