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When you’re running a commercial fleet, keeping every driver and staff member up to speed on safety processes can be challenging. In fact, when it comes to making sure employees stay safe on the job, sometimes it takes a bit more than just rules to minimise risk.
Keeping a fleet operating safely requires constant communication, a solid understanding of people’s attitudes in the workplace, and a forum for constructive discussion too.
That’s where Traction – a tool NZI created with its Fleet Fit partner, Success Formula - can prove valuable. The programme helps fleet businesses understand the impact workplace culture has on overall safety and performance, and offers avenues to make and track productive change.
" Traction is a great way to efficiently diagnose what is going on in a company. This allows owners to prioritise their actions and our fleet risk managers to support any change management required.
Andrew Greatbatch - Risk Advisory Manager, NZI
Traction has supported commercial fleet operators to keep their people safe on the job since 2011. It’s designed to give employers an easy way to survey staff and assess an organisation’s safety culture, with tailored recommendations for improvements across the organisation.
For workplaces wanting help to address issues, Traction also offers transport and logistics-specific leadership support modules (onsite and remote) for improved planning, communication, problem solving and training.
By understanding gaps in an organisation’s safety culture, leaders and decision makers can learn how to drive productive change and reduce risk in as little as two months. Traction has proven particularly helpful for those implementing a big change, planning a business exit, or simply in need of a fresh set of eyes to help solve problems.
Pyramid Trucking is a great example of a company benefitting from Traction. Every day the Auckland-based road transport company has drivers dotted across the country, making team meetings and training sessions difficult to organise.
Compliance Manager Jodene Chappel says the ability to collaborate with multiple drivers has been vital to the company’s ongoing success.
“Traction has allowed Pyramid Trucking to ensure all their employees have a greater understanding of the safety culture that is instilled by the management team and to ensure employees are safety conscious across their nationwide network."
Another client making constructive use of the Traction programme is Weatherell Transport, a chilled and frozen goods transport company operating out of Gisborne.
Depots Manager, Cam Tennent, credits Traction with Weatherell’s improved health and safety culture and increased employee involvement.
“[We] got a lot of benefit from the Traction programme, firstly from getting a clear understanding of our health and safety culture from the staffs perspective to Jenni’s help with tools and ideas to work on and improve health and safety within our business.”
" Traction has allowed Pyramid Trucking to ensure all their employees have a greater understanding of the safety culture that is instilled by the management team and to ensure employees are safety conscious across their nationwide network
Jodene Chappel - Compliance Manager, Pyramid Trucking
For NZI’s Risk Advisory Manager, Andrew Greatbatch, diagnosis is half the battle when it comes to implementing lasting change.
“Traction is a great way to efficiently diagnose what is going on in a company. This allows the owners to prioritise their actions and our fleet risk managers to support any change management required,” he says.
“Previously we were able to highlight the risks but had difficulty identifying whether or not effective actions had taken place,” explains Andrew.
“Now we get a comprehensive snapshot of what is going on and how we can focus and prioritise supporting change management.”
Whether your business is undergoing a safety overhaul, or is in need of comprehensive fleet analysis, Traction could be the tool for you. It can be effective, easy to implement, and as part of NZI’s Fleet Fit programme, it’s available to all businesses holding a NZI Commercial Motor Vehicle Insurance Policy.
To find out more about Traction or discuss whether it’s right for your business, head to nzi.co.nz/fleetfit or ask your broker about NZI’s Fleet Fit programme.
