DESCRIPTION
Tarmac’s analysis of near hits identified that there were very few reported by drivers which had occurred at customers' sites or delivery locations. Sometimes, they were reported a day or two later by the driver’s employee. As a consequence of this, an unsafe condition or act was not being captured and followed up within an acceptable time scale – possibly putting others at risk.
Further investigation revealed that the main cause of this was that drivers were ‘out of reach’ for long periods, when they were on the road, away from Tarmac sites and their employer’s depots. There also appeared to be a reluctance or fear of putting in a near hit report at the control room of the site where the near miss occurred. It was assumed that this was because drivers were concerned that it would be perceived by the customer as a complaint about the actual site. Another factor was that drivers were not receiving meaningful feedback from the near hits that were being submitted. This shortfall in two way communication was further compounded by drivers not receiving the safety briefings or safety alerts that are cascaded within the Tarmac communication process.
The feasibility of developing a mobile phone reporting solution was explored. This resulted in a text messaging service which allowed driver hauliers to text in a near hit immediately or soon after it was discovered. This facility slightly increased the near hits that were being reported and was seen as very positive.
Building on this success, an App was developed that could be downloaded to a smart phone. The App offers functionality so that much more content can be delivered and two way communication is facilitated.
The App has been developed with the following functions:
- About Tarmac – Company information, careers, company vision and more
- Submit Near Hit – Submit relevant details of an unsafe condition or act and photographs from the phone instantly
- News – safety alerts, safety briefings and more
- Safety Stream – Displays Tarmac safety related video content, policies, tool box talks
- Contact Directory – Key contacts within Tarmac
- Our location – Use as a route planner to Tunstead from any location
- Twitter – Displays the Tarmac twitter page
- Pocket Tools – user access to a notepad, torch, driving conditions, weather forecasts, a calculator and sound recorder.
The App is available to download from all App stores such as iTunes, Google Play and Windows Store.
BENEFITS
- Circa 150% increase in Near Hit reporting by the driver haulier population
- Massive 733% increase during January
- The App has enhanced and improved the near hit reporting process
- Report can include description, video clips and images of hazards
- Instant reporting enables issues to be addressed quickly
- Drivers receive feedback on action taken
- Improves safety at delivery/customer sites
- Feedback from drivers has been very positive.