High mileage fleet clocks on to promote a safety first culture

Concern for the well-being of all at-work drivers and a desire to be viewed as a safety-conscious employer has resulted in National Milk Records (NMR) launching a comprehensive risk management programme.

NMR provides management information on individual cow's performance in terms of milk quality, yield and fertility. Today, NMR is Europe's largest milk recording organisation with a database containing records of more than 9.5 million animals, 32 million individual lactations and 110 million individual recording visits.

From van drivers collecting milk samples from cattle farms to the directors of Chippenham-based NMR, around 100 employees are involved in the programme as the leading supplier of milk recording services in the UK compiles a comprehensive profile of each driver.

A duty of care culture from driver assessment to checking documentation, including driving licences, has been embraced from the board downwards, according to Tracey Firth, NMR's senior administrator who is responsible for the organisation's fleet.

NMR has approximately 60 company car drivers with senior managers averaging 29,000 business miles a year and area field managers averaging 23,500 miles a year. In addition, 20 Mercedes Sprinter drivers typically clock up 100,000 miles a year collecting milk samples and a similar number of staff drive their own or hire cars on business-related journeys.

Ms Firth explained: 'We do not have a significant accident record and we are not aware of our driving staff breaking the law. However, many of our drivers are women and they work in rural areas driving along country lanes and narrow farm tracks and often feel isolated.

'We identified that driving is one of the most high-risk jobs that we ask our employees to undertake and is, in many cases, a major part of their work. As an employer we have a duty of care to ensure that our staff are looked after.'

For almost two years NMR has worked with DriveTech (UK), the country's leading provider of at-work driving risk management, driver assessment and driver training solutions.

The initiative began with drivers completing CD-Rom driving risk assessments to determine their risk exposure rating - no high-risk drivers were identified. That was followed with employees taking part in a series of safe driving workshops and NMR is now halfway through putting staff through a half-day of on-road driver training tailored to individual needs.

Meanwhile, while NMR has historically undertaken annual licence checks it has proved an administration burden due to many drivers working in remote areas of Britain. Now, DriveTech is undertaking the process and cross-checking records with the DVLA. The results of the check are then kept on record by the company by means of an online database, maintained and hosted by DriveTech. All at-work driving employees and partners who are eligible to drive company cars are having their licences checked.

In the future refresher training courses will be held for staff and new employees will also undergo a safe-driving programme.

Ms Firth said: 'While we hope there will be some cost benefits to NMR from the safe driving programme that is not the reason for embarking on the initiative. We believe that we have a duty to look after all our employees and that they should feel safe while at work.'

DriveTech managing director Jim Kirkwood said: 'NMR is a fine example of a safety-conscious fleet which, while not having an overt safety or accident problem, is fully aware of its responsibilities to its at-work drivers and road users at large.

'By compiling a profile of each individual driver NMR is taking its health and safety responsibilities extremely seriously and has a robust audit trail also embracing driver assessment that will not only safeguard themselves against possible prosecution but has introduced a feel good and caring environment in which their staff can work.'