Recent advances in technology have resulted in significant improvements in location-based tracking and in-vehicle safety solutions, with both of these serving to better protect the vehicle driver and other road users. That all companies should have the safety of their fleet and staff as a number one priority is supported by the daunting road toll – 1204 deaths in 2018. Alarmingly, this means that for every 100,000 deaths in Australia, 4.8 of them are due to road accidents.
In this article we are going to expand on some of the ways that energy companies can improve the safety of their vehicle fleets.
1. Identify risks
Organisations must put significant effort into identifying any potential work-related driving risks. Both fleet drivers and managers should be held accountable for thoroughly analysing any potential safety hazards that drivers may come across when travelling to or from a job. This will allow energy companies to take all necessary precautions to protect their workers from any foreseeable hazards.
2. Utilise Telematics to Improve Behaviour
Managing driver behaviour patterns and the distances that they are covering are important ways to improve the safety of an energy organisation’s fleet when vehicles are travelling around to installation or servicing jobs. Implementing a GPS fleet tracking solution and monitoring a driver’s GPS data will allow safety managers to mitigate unnecessary driving time, suggest alternative routes and provide education on safe driving, if required.
3. Create incentive programs
A benefit of monitoring your fleet with telematics is that it allows managers to review each individual driver’s workload and assess whether they have been meeting safety standards. Rewarding those who are producing safe driving records over a sustained period not only encourages a safe culture but deters fleets from dangerous driving in the pursuit of meeting unrealistic job schedules. On the other hand, drivers who are repeatedly producing GPS driving records that suggest they are driving in a dangerous manner should be reprimanded and encouraged to meet appropriate standards.
4. Taking preventive actions
The vehicles and equipment that form an energy company’s fleet need to be regularly inspected to identify any underlying maintenance problems, and ensure that they are properly serviced and safe to operate. Utilising a telematic-based product, such as Smartrak’s Whip Around App, helps to do this, keeping you on top of a time-consuming task by automatically removing the chance of a mechanical issue becoming a safety one.
