If you are a safety director within a trucking company your effectiveness is heavily dependent upon the actions of your company’s drivers, mechanics and other employees. However, even in trucking companies that place a strong emphasis upon injury prevention, some employees engage in “at-risk” behaviors, such as jumping from the steps of the cab, “yanking” a fifth wheel release while in an awkward position, or not using proper body mechanics while lifting. Frustrated, many safety directors see safety meetings as the only solution. But their frustration grows, as they realize that doing more of the same has little impact.
The truth is that the trucking industry presents some unique challenges relating to injury prevention. Not the least of these challenges is a workforce that carries-out their daily job duties away from the company facility while (for the most part) working alone. The reality is that the unique characteristics of the trucking industry are screaming for creativity and innovation within the safety management system. That may be stretching the personal comfort boundaries for safety directors who have been promoting safety essentially the same way for years. Nonetheless, safety directors who are serious about preventing employee injuries simply must think “outside the box.”
Many injuries in the trucking industry (an indeed in all industries) result from employees engaging in “at-risk behaviors” (behaviors that increase the likelihood of injury). As such, among the primary objectives for safety directors within trucking companies should be (1) to ensure that employees are aware of at-risk behaviors associated with their job tasks; and (2) to shape the behavior of employees so that drivers voluntarily avoid at-risk behaviors. In practical terms, the objectives should be for drivers to voluntarily and consistently face the cab and firmly grip the handholds when exiting their cab; to anticipate a shifted load when opening their trailer doors; to avoid awkward posture and yanking to release the slider pins, etc.
This interactive newsletter provides a look at how one outside the box solution can work to produce results in a trucking company. The method is simple both in concept and implementation. In fact, safety directors should find this much easier than conducting a safety meeting (although it is not intended to replace safety meetings).
Keep in mind – this is only one approach to shaping employee behavior in a work environment in which direct supervision is difficult (if not impossible). There are hundreds of others – limited only by your creativity. In fact, at the end of this article, you will be encouraged to share some ideas of your own (including those that you have tried, and those you have not).
This particular outside the box solution is a self-assessment exercise for your drivers. To use this approach, you (the safety director) must first identify 3 to 5 at-risk behaviors that you want your drivers to avoid. These at-risk behaviors should be printed on a 3×5 card in a manner as to enable drivers to respond using True/False, multiple-choice or a Likert scale (see examples below). Each driver should be given a handful of these cards, and should be instructed to fill-out one card at the end of each workday for two weeks (or some other period that you deem to be appropriate). It should be explained to drivers that there is no benefit to completing the questionnaire inaccurately. There is no prize for the “right answer” and no punishment for the “wrong answer.” What you are seeking are truthful answers. At the end of the workday (or upon returning to the company facility for OTR drivers), the driver should drop his completed card(s) into a designated box to keep his responses anonymous.
At-Risk Behavior Self-Assessment
Today I used both handholds when getting in and out of my truck.
(Rarely ) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (Always)
When uncoupling my trailer today, I used a hook to avoid awkward posture.
- Yes
- No
- N/A – Did not uncouple trailer today.
Upon opening my trailer doors today, I stood to the side to avoid being struck if the freight was to fall out.
- True
- False.
Does this just sound too simplistic to work? On the surface, this may appear like a waste of time; or simply another form that drivers will pencil-whip. But it can help achieve the two goals mentioned above… (1) to ensure that employees are aware of at-risk behaviors associated with their job tasks; and (2) to shape the behavior of employees so that they voluntarily avoid those at-risk behaviors.
One explanation for why such a simple process may produce desirable effects is that we are each wired to remember things to which we are repeatedly exposed. If drivers follow your instructions and complete the self-assessment form daily, they are being exposed to the same message over and over for a solid 2 week period (or however long you choose to use this process).
Another reason that this process may help produce the desired effects is that it requires the involvement of each driver. Unfortunately, during safety meetings there are likely employees who mentally drift-off (daydream) and miss a portion of what is being discussed. By engaging the employees through the use of these simple self-assessment forms, you increase the likelihood that individual drivers will reflect upon those specific at-risk behaviors and intentionally avoid them.
Lastly, when employees know management is paying attention, many improve their behavior to meet or exceed expectations. In short, the mere fact that drivers are being asked to report on their behavior could have a strong enough effect to influence their behavior.
Note the above three reasons that this approach works. Interestingly, the success of this innovative approach is not dependent upon drivers answering the questions truthfully. Regardless of what the drivers write on the self-evaluation forms, the goal is to impact what they “do,” and there’s reason to believe that this works. If you are fortunate enough to get truthful answers, by all means use that information to help identify strengths and weaknesses within your safety management system.
As a safety director of a trucking company, you don’t have the luxury of direct supervision, nor do you exercise control over much of the work setting. If you want to succeed in impacting voluntary driver behavior, you’re going to need to think outside the box.
Now is time to hear from you! Click on the [Comments] link below and share your insight and experience with your peers. What innovative ideas do you have for advancing injury-prevention within a trucking company? Are there any that you have attempted and found some level of success? Are there any that you attempted but discontinued because they did not yield the results you were seeking? If you were to use the approach suggested in this article, what additional questions would you pose to drivers?
