NRSPP have a terrific resource for truck fleet managers. The safety bureau, the National Road Safety Program Partnership, has compiled three so-called tool box talks, packages full of info, posters and worksheets designed to facilitate group talks and training. The first three talks focus on fatigue, distraction and load management.
They are free and everything is downloadable. They are aimed at improving safety in heavy vehicles.
“Heavy vehicle driving is in nature a solitary activity, with drivers often experiencing loneliness, boredom, and declining vigilance, leading them to engage in secondary tasks,” said NRSPP in a flyer for the pack focussed on distraction.
The Tool Box Talk on distraction noted the following discussion points: Know how to respond to distracting thoughts and situations; Share with your team and learn from them; Distraction affects us all.
NRSPP Director Jerome Carslake said 10 talks were completed, with upcoming themes covered including “Are you OK to drive?” and one about shift-work driving.
“The real standout is empowerment — How do you empower drivers to say no?” said Carslake. He told a story of a policeman ordering a truck driver to continue on, a mistake the driver felt powerless to change, and which ended in a rollover.
“How do they make sure if something’s not right they make the case and say no that’s not safe.”
Another one available now features load restraint.
“Loads alter characteristics of a vehicle, such as weight and centre of gravity. In turn, to stay safe on the road, driving and manoeuvring also require adaptations. Learning how to load, restrain and unload your load properly keeps you and those you are sharing the road with safe,” said NRSPP.
The load management tool box features interviews with drivers from Bingo Industries, and Qube. Each give their own tips and stories on load management, and ultimately share the same message: how to manage load correctly.
Another critical topic covered in the early Tool Box release is one on fatigue — known as a silent killer. Fatigue impairs decision making, affects performance, slows reaction times and reduces the ability to control emotions, said NRSPP.
In 2020, eight percent of all truck large losses in Australia were caused by fatigue. This is designed to combat this risk for heavy vehicle drivers.
The Tool Box Talks were made collaboration with Monash University Safety Research Centre. They are funded by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative, supported by the federal government.
The Tool Box Talks steering group includes people from Viva Energy, Bingo Industries, Toll Group, Zurich, Qube, and Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia.
Here’s a link to NRSPP Tool Box Talks for Heavy Vehicles https://www.nrspp.org.au/product-category/heavy-vehicles/
