ARCHIVE FOR THE ‘driver-safety’ CATEGORY

It is an unavoidable fact of field service delivery that our engineers and technicians invariably spend as much time behind the wheel of their vehicle as they do with our customers. Whilst we are all of course trying to reduce ‘screen-time’ as much for productivity reasons as anything else, we mustn’t overlook the fact that vehicle maintenance and driver safety play a massive role in ensuring our field workforce are safe. In the second feature of a four-part series reflecting on a deep dive discussion into health and safety at the most recent FSN Think Tank Mark Glover looks back on the discussions that the group held on driver safety…  

It’s generally agreed that workplace driving – irrelevant of vertical sector – is one of the biggest risks for service engineers. Again, the very nature of a lone worker means travelling to a job is a fundamental part of the process. With the number of cars on the road combined with driving hazards more generally there exists an increasing risk of driving accidents. 

Add workplace pressure to the mix and the risks increase further. Sensible driving policies are one way of dealing with this, however a middle ground must exist that where policies must encourage productivity and efficiency while being practical, realistic and enforceable.  

 Service engineers come across a number of hazards in their day-to-day including working at height and confined spaces although those in attendance agreed that driving – irrelevant of vertical sector – was one of the biggest risks. Again, the very nature of a field service engineer, or the very nature of a lone worker means travelling to a job is a fundamental part of the service process.  

 Indeed, it was a common theme across all members of the group that driving safety was of paramount concern. “We’ve targeted driving as probably the biggest risk area,” commented Brent Holmes, Field Service Portfolio Director, Ericsson explained: 

 It is also a high-risk part of that process, perhaps more so than working at height or slips, trips and falls - which the group agreed certainly shouldn’t be overlooked - however, a key distinguisher here is that driving links directly into a service engineer’s productivity, something which can affect safety.  

 

"The customer is unhappy as the asset needs to get back-up online as soon as possible. So, there is customer pressure, management pressure and also business pressure..."

 

Mark Wilding, Director of Global Aftermarket Operations, Hexagon Marketing Intelligence explains: “As management we need to get the tasks done and the schedule completed. With driving between jobs and driving home at the end of the day and with driving hazards generally and the number of cars on the road there is obviously an increasing risk.”  

 He pondered the use of company driving policies and practicalities, where engineers would have to stay in a hotel after working twelve hours on the road, for example.  “So, if you’re 20 miles from home and you’ve done your twelve hours, you’re supposed to check in. They [engineers] will leave at a silly time just so they can be in their own beds at night. And this is a risk that is always there. “Equally there is pressure if they’ve only got three days to complete a task. The customer is unhappy as the asset needs to get back-up online as soon as possible. So, there is customer pressure, management pressure and also business pressure, therefore the productivity that you’re trying to improve means the driving time in the car is almost trivialised.  

 “That for me is a concern because you can put in some hard-hitting policies which will have a massive impact on productivity and efficiency and expense and it’s about finding the happy balance, which is practical, realistic and enforceable.” Jan van Veen said these pressures and targets can be detrimental to workforce, “It then leads to stress and pressure which is not in favour of safety and probably not in favour of customer quality also,” he explains.  

 “This is often the issue when you start incentivising or putting in targets. It then leads to stress and pressure which is not in favour of safety and probably not in favour of customer quality. “So, if you are really are serious as top management around safety, you should start working on relieving pressure on people by putting in place better tools, mechanisms, processes and structures so they can be performed without sacrificing safety,” he said. 

Health and safety is becoming more prominent in service. Engineers who work remotely are more susceptible to risk and firms are now recognizing the hazards they face daily. Following a Field Service News Think Tank held in London last year which had the issue of health and safety at the top of its agenda, Mark Glover – who attended the meeting – reports on some of the safety challenges that firms encounter.

Research released this week by Verizon Connect has revealed that a quarter of UK commercial drivers are breaching driver guidelines around rest and fatigue.

By UK law, a commercial driver must take a rest break of at least 45 minutes after a maximum of four hours and 30 minutes of driving time.[1] Yet, a quarter of fleet managers admitted that their drivers on average take breaks after five hours or more, breaching the driver guidelines.

The study confirms the challenge fleet managers face to ensure their drivers remain safe and compliant. When asked about the top issues that worry them, 24 percent cited compliance, 23 percent said unsafe driving practices and 13 percent of fleet managers said drivers not taking rest.

Two-thirds of fleet managers (66 percent) have systems in place to help ensure their drivers take required breaksTwo-thirds of fleet managers (66 percent) have systems in place to help ensure their drivers take required breaks. However, 16 percent of them leave it at each driver’s discretion to take appropriate rest, 15 percent ask their drivers about their breaks and 3 percent do not know.

Many fleet managers (46 percent) use a tachograph to automatically record vehicle speed and distance and to keep track of their drivers’ rest periods. While this is the most time-effective approach for fleet managers, it still has its challenges. According to the study, fleet managers said they spend more than three hours a week correcting and following up on drivers’ tachograph mistakes – which adds up to nearly 21 working days, or more than a month, each year. When asked how they would prefer to spend this time instead, looking for ways to reduce costs was the most popular response with 39 percent.

Fleet managers must also keep tachograph data on record for no fewer than 12 months.

Over a third (31 percent) admit non-compliance by failing to download driver data every 28 days and storing the data for less time than they are supposed to (29 percent).

“Fleet managers are frequently under pressure to increase margins, impress their customers and outshine their competitors. However, safety is still priority number one. Our research shows how hard fleet managers have to work to maintain safety and compliance while juggling so many demands,” comments Derek Bryan, Vice President, EMEA, Verizon Connect.

“Simple systems can be put in place to cut down time spent on admin while ensuring compliance and driver safety. By integrating tachograph data with their fleet management system, organisations of any size can improve driver safety, compliance, and productivity. In doing so, managers reclaim time to focus on growing and improving the business.”

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Canadian M2M and telematics company Geotab has launched GO TALK, a new driver coaching tool with a difference: the driving advice is voice-directed.

Designed to improve behind-the-wheel decision making, GO TALK  provides real-time verbal feedback. It is an add-on module for Geotab's  GO7 vehicle tracking device that combines GPS tracking, accelerometer and diagnostic data, as well as other manager programmable data incorporating time of day and location zones to relay instant, spoken instruction and safety information directly to fleet drivers. Information is passed back to the fleet management centre to monitor driver behavior and the effectiveness of responses to the audible coaching.

“GO TALK is another big step forward in coaching fleet drivers and improving driving standards,” said Neil Cawse, CEO of Geotab. “The solution has road and driver safety at its heart, but fleet managers will also recognise productivity and fuel savings it delivers.”

Fleet managers can add custom event-triggers into the fleet management control system, including fastening seatbelt, entering a restricted area, exceeding a fleet-determined speed limit, idling for too long, aggressive acceleration and harsh braking and driving excessive hours.

GO TALK is designed to work with Geotab’s GO7 fleet telematics device which already records and reports data on driving habits, safety and health of vehicle information, such as seat belt use, fuel consumption and engine.

 

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As telematics specialist Microlise launches  Clear, its new driver coaching and behaviour app developed specifically for field service organisations, Kris Oldland discovers his inner White Van Man and realises that not all stereotypes are true…

UPDATE: SINCE THE PUBLICATION OF THIS EVENT REVIEW MICROLISE AND FIELD SERVICE NEWS HAVE TEAMED UP TO REPEAT THE DAY FOR FIELD SERVICE NEWS READERS.

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When we hear the phrase “white van man” it doesn’t always conjure up the most positive connotations: a red top paper somewhere on the dashboard, an arm hanging lazily out of the window and, worst of all , reckless driving with little care for other motorists all fit into the traditional stereotype.

However, the white van driver is not only at the heart of the field service industry but also at the heart of the UK economy as well.

“Over the last few years there has been a meteoric explosion in the white van market. From September 2014 to February 2015, 150,000 vans were registered in the UK” stated TV presenter and author Quentin Willson. Willson was opening an event hosted by telematics specialist Microlise at the Milbrook Technology Park to launch its Clear telematics solution for field service.

“Bringing in £35Bn to the UK economy the idea of White Van man being the spine of the UK economy has been embraced by government.” Wilson continued underlining just how significant a role the White Van Man has in the British economy as the UK continues to rebuild it’s status as a leading financial power following the economic downturn and double dip recession of recent memory.

And of course for those companies who operate these vehicles, there are huge potential savings to be made from improving driver behaviour, to ensure that fuel economy is at an optimum whilst vehicle degradation remains at a minimum.

Service engineers are drivers too

This, essentially, is what Microlise’s Clear is all about: helping coach our field engineers into being better drivers in order to reduce costs.

 

This in itself isn’t a particularly new concept, of course. Telematics companies such as TomTom, Telogis and Fleetmatics have been raising this point and aiming their products at field service companies for some time now. It’s a busy market as it is so is there space for another telematics company toeing the same line as everyone else?

What do Microlise bring to the table that differentiates them from their competitors and peers?

Well for a start they have an extremely strong pedigree in the haulage sector, where they are very well established with fleet operators and truck manufacturers. The annual Microlise Transport Conference is the biggest transport conference in the UK with over 1,000 delegates attending this year’s event held at the Ricoh arena.

Secondly, Clear is aimed specifically at field service companies and is actually a very slick piece of kit indeed.

It is designed with compliance and safety at the forefront, with built-in vehicle walk round checks to both increase fleet uptime and safety standards. There is a comprehensive reporting suite that provides management with insight into utilisation, productivity and compliance in terms of work patterns and HMRC tax requirements.

 

The Clear launch event included interesting presentations from associations including the FTA and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency which both highlighted the looming burden to van operators of having to meet the stricter servicing and roadworthiness compliance regime that already apply to HGV operations. (Given the fact that almost half of all vans fail their MOT first time this could, arguably, be merited. However, it would likely prove costly to both operators and government alike.)

We also heard some excellent case studies from facilities management giant Interserve and pay-TV providers Sky.

The road ahead is Clear

After a morning of we had the chance to test out Clear first hand which of course meant getting behind the wheel of a van ourselves. Our challenge was to complete the Alpine course as close to the optimum time of seven minutes, with as few driving faults as possible. The course which was apparently model on a section of road actually in Alps, certainly provided a challenge, with hairpin bends, heavy cambers and steep inclines combining to make a route that certainly demanded attention.

Stepping into a brand new Ford Transit van provided by co-sponsor Hertz , I admit I felt a sudden rush of nerves. I’d only ever driven a van once and that was not long after passing my test and I’ll readily admit that on that particular occasion I found myself quickly living up to the stereotype as I hogged the middle lane of the M40.

How would I cope on what those who had gone before me described as a tricky track? Was I about to have all my driving weaknesses laid out bare in front of me? Fortunately it seems that, like a good wine, I’ve improved somewhat with age and whilst the course itself was tricky I managed to get around with a respectable B from Clear’s rating system in a not too shabby 7 minutes and 37 seconds.

 

With my dignity secured I could now spend some time with the coaching side of the app to understand better how it works. With my recorded data transferred I was ready to see where I went wrong and was duly handed a tablet (the app is available on both IoS and Android) to have a look through the low points of my run.

The app itself had a nice intuitive interface and I was impressed with how quickly and easily I was able to drill down into data such as fuel efficiencies, carbon emissions and of course dangerous driving elements such as over steering and harsh braking.

And as I looked through my reported errors, I was advised on where I went wrong by none other than Ben Collins, AKA the Stig, the former racing driver who know makes his living perform insane stunts for the movie industry.

Whilst our group were each getting their specific feedback there was also an opportunity to see the back end of the system at work, as it comfortably managed our ‘fleet’ of 30 or so delegates and fed back data in real-time.

The reporting suite also gives field service managers valuable information on fleet utilisation and productivity, delivering additional operational benefits, whilst real-time vehicle tracking gives fleet managers the insight to understand the location and operational status of every vehicle in the fleet.

Clear field service benefits

“Clear will deliver huge benefits to organisations operating fleets of vehicles” commented John Mills, Head of Mobile Workforce Telematics at Microlise. “The product has been developed with the specific needs of these organisations in mind, and we’re excited to be working in such a dynamic space.

“Whilst telematics solutions are traditionally centred on vehicle tracking and driver performance, Clear comes complete with a range of other features that will help field service organisations to be compliant in terms of HMRC reporting, DVSA regulations and in-house vehicle safety standards. Comprehensive task management and communications further enhance efficiency and service levels.”

As well as highlighting driver faults in real-time, Clear also offers easy access reporting. I could very much see how self coaching via smartphone or tablet helps improve engagement and education of our field workers. And such a tool could be very powerful means of communicating to our engineers that they are indeed professional van drivers as well as professional engineers.

In fact,  perhaps one of the biggest challenges of improving the driver standards of our field engineers, could possibly be convincing them they are professional drivers in the first place.

 

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Coming soon: More on the importance of convincing field engineers they are also professional drivers.

 

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New safety camera integration from Isotrak is assisting fleet operators improve safety by capturing video evidence of on-road incidents in real-time. This camera integration helps to reduce speeding by as much as 97 percent and cuts accident rates by almost 80 percent. In addition, the solution is proven to further improve fuel economy on top of the savings available from using vehicle tracking alone.

The vehicle tracking and driver safety monitoring enhancement provides transport managers with high resolution images that are date and time stamped for any point of the journey, and recording whether the vehicle is moving or stationary. The cameras integrate seamlessly with Isotrak’s vehicle tracking and telemetry solution, providing telemetry data and camera footage to backup any claims made by the driver or dispute any claims made by third party plaintiffs.

The detailed video images give a clear view of how a vehicle was being driven immediately prior to an incident, helping prove whether the driver was at fault or not. With the rising cost in insurance, the technology reduces accident costs by up to 70 percent and also helps with defending against fraudulent claims by providing better understanding of what actually happened. Fleet operators can also use the safety camera video to help them with driver training and to stop unsafe driving behaviour.

“We have partnered with market leading safety camera providers to provide a fully integrated solution that gives customers a real-time video view of how their fleet is performing right down to individual driver and vehicle level. This is an important enhancement to the live vehicle location and telemetry we already provide and we encourage fleet operators to consider how integrating safety cameras with their Isotrak system could help them drive further improvements through their operation. Video evidence is proving its importance in fighting claims, but even more importantly when coupled with Isotrak real-time vehicle tracking it can help fleet operators make significant improvements to operations and services,” says Megan Turner, Head of Marketing, Isotrak.