New Royal Mail Group New Driver Safety Training Courses Provided by ‘Pertemps’
Dear Colleagues,
The Royal Mail Group Head of Road Safety has finalised the design of two new Safe Driving Courses with training provider ‘Pertemps’ which are now nationally available to drivers at all Offices.
The Royal Mail Group Road and Driver Safety team have been working with the CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department and Postal Department, reviewing the ‘Pertemps’ Driver Training Courses and this has concluded with the addition of these new courses to be made available through the usual ‘Pertemps’ booking process.
The following gives you information on both of the new courses which we have jointly agreed.
1. Slow Manoeuvring Training
Slow Manoeuvring collisions are a particular issue for Royal Mail accounting for around 50% of all of collisions. Following a successful extensive trial of the Slow Manoeuvring Training it showed a 49% reduction in slow manoeuvring collisions and a 42% reduction in all RTCs. This course was developed to improve driver knowledge, skills and behaviours towards slow manoeuvring collisions. The course can be delivered individually, or in groups of up to 5 drivers and is designed to deliver cultural change in offices where slow manoeuvring has been identified as an issue.
This course will consist of 1 hour classroom session covering:-
• Brand Awareness
• Collision Statistics
• Facts
• Manoeuvring
• Reversing
• Risk Assessment
Additionally, there will then be a 1 hour yard element to make drivers aware of the risks associated with slow manoeuvring. This will include a practical element of the classroom training and will enable the driver to put into practice what they have learned in the classroom.
The Slow Manoeuvring training course has been well received during extensive trials and with excellent results.
The course will now be available for call-off by all offices operating van fleets, accessed via the Pertemps Portal.
As all ASRs and Branches will be aware, yard safety and yard accidents have been a particular concern for some time with many minor accidents occurring and some very serious accidents in yards and on customer’s premises also. Some of which have led to HSE and LA enforcement action and prosecutions. This led to a number of both joint initiatives and campaigns by the Health, Safety and Environment Department for improved yard safety, yard risk and workplace transport training and controls. This training is a positive step aimed at improving safety for both drivers and pedestrians with the aim of reducing personal injury accidents and property damage accidents. The training will therefore be very welcome and will be formally launched and publicised ahead of next week’s RMG/CWU Road Safety Campaign for January 2018.
2. Classroom Safe Driver Training
This is a new approach being taken with the introduction of 1 hour classroom session covering a broad range of key road safety subjects designed to achieve a safety culture change in high impact units or where driver safety issues have been identified.
The subjects covered are:-
• Speeding
• Mobile Devices
• Distractions
• Collisions
• Driving under the Influence
• Vulnerable Road Users
• Fatigue
These are all subjects covered as ‘themes’ in previous RMG/CWU Road Safety Week Campaigns agreed between Royal Mail Group and the CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department and the course therefore fits well, following up those joint campaigns.
The training will be mainly aimed at groups of up to 12 drivers but can be delivered on a 1-1 basis where deemed appropriate and necessary. It will be available for units to call-off as required on the ‘Pertemps’ on-line training Portal.
As ASRs and Branches will be aware, the subject matters covered in the ‘Safe Driver’ Course are subjects on which Royal Mail Group and the CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department have run agreed joint Road Safety Awareness Campaigns, covering these key issues. Additionally the CWU Health Safety & Environment Department has run a number of its own driver and Road Safety Awareness raising campaigns on many of these key issues, sharing our materials, LTBs, leaflets and posters with the Royal Mail Road Safety and SHE team. The most recent one being an LTB, leaflet and poster on driver fatigue/tiredness. Reps and members will have been involved, seen and made aware of the communications, posters, leaflets, activities and initiatives in their areas along with receiving WTLL sessions as campaign elements.
The course is an addition to the existing training courses, available through ‘Pertemps’. All of the key road safety subjects covered are already included in other longer courses and communications, however the course provides the training using a new approach and provides the option of a shorter, lighter touch rather than the full 4 hour, 1-1 on-road training courses.
The course involves no driving but targets behavioural change through engaging with drivers and prompting thought about driving styles, alertness, awareness and attitude to risks, and the potential consequences of poor driving standards for the drivers and other road users and pedestrians etc.
The course will provide drivers with information and thinking time to help them to be aware and to make good decisions and choices when they drive.
The course will be used where improved driving skills are deemed necessary, and can be used within a unit for an individual or group session. For example the course may be used;
• Where high impact units are identified following an increase in collisions or where other collision reduction methods have not been effective.
• Where poor driving has been identified.
• Following an individual driver collision.
• For an individual driver who has received motoring offence penalty points on their drivers licence.
Details of the training subjects covered in summary:-
Speeding
This is an interactive session about what speeding is, asking why drivers drive too fast and what the risks and consequences on the road can be. It will highlight the new sentencing guidelines for speeding offences and the penalties and fines that can now be received.
Mobile Devices
This session covers the use of mobile devices while driving and the reasons behind why drivers do it. The acronym FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) will be used. Driver distraction risks and the increased legal penalties for using a mobile phone while driving are included as well as details about hands free mobile phone use and whether it is safe.
Seat Belts
This session covers the reasons why it is believed that drivers don’t wear their seat belts, and how seatbelts protects drivers in a collision. What the legal penalties are for failing to wear a seatbelt and what Royal Mail’s policy is.
Distractions
This session covers issues such as reading mail addresses or using a PDA while driving.
Collisions
This session covers Royal Mail’s accident reporting procedures and how a collision/accident can affect those involved.
Driving Under The Influence
This session will cover the impact and effects of both drink and drugs regarding safe driving standards, the legal limits, impairment and how it decreases drivers’ reaction times. It will also cover how drinking alcohol can affect drivers the ‘morning after’. The session also covers the penalties for offenders convicted for drink and drug driving.
Vulnerable Road Users
This session covers the issue of cyclists, children, old age pensioners, horse riders and learner drivers on the roads. The session will also focus on why collisions can occur with these groups of road users, the consequences and how to minimise the risks.
Fatigue
This session will cover effectively managing fatigue and how a driver will know they are tired. It will cover the dangers of drivers falling asleep while driving.
Further details of the Classroom Safe Driver Training Course will be publicised by Royal Mail Group shortly.
General
All drivers have a responsibility for safety both on site, in Royal Mail yards, at customers’ premises and on the road. Royal Mail and Parcelforce driver’s actions impact on their own safety and that of other road users and pedestrians.
These courses have been developed to support, correct, coach, encourage, raise awareness and improve driver skills and safety in order to address the risks to drivers and to support them in addressing the occupational road safety risks faced every day. The Health, Safety and Environment Department welcomes the additional training courses and encourages all driving CWU members to participate in the training courses.
A presentation of the safety courses for drivers was recently made to the CWU Regional Health and Safety Forum Secretaries and Chairs and it has been agreed that ASRs will be fully involved and will be able to attend the Safe Driver Training and Slow Manoeuvring courses in order to experience them and raise awareness amongst driving members of the benefits.
Some of the new training course or sessions will be held in a number of offices during the January Road Safety Campaign launch week with Courier publicity to support the roll out. The SHE Team, Office Managers and ASRs will be involved to ensure that RM and the CWU are joined up. A further report on the offices involved, once identified, will be made to ASRs and Regional Health and Safety Forums in due course.
As agreed with the CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department, the RMG National Road Safety Manager will arrange for a number of courses to be put on around the country which ASRs and SHE Advisors will be invited to attend so that they can experience the training and become advocates of these courses when they are in the field. A further report on the dates and locations, once identified will be made to ASRs and Regional Health and Safety Forums in due course.
The reintroduction of an updated general ‘Driver Safety/Road Safety ’Training Course is something we’ve been wanting to see for some time and such training programmes and courses are supported and promoted by the Police, HSE, Brake, RoSPA etc.
Likewise the ‘Slow Manoeuvring’ and ‘Classroom Safe Driver Training’ courses are welcomed. Slow Manoeuvring has been subject to much discussion over the years, linked to Yard Safety in general and we need a consistent, concerted campaign to get more Drivers in more offices through safe driving awareness courses as strongly recommended by road safety organisations, experts and the Police.
These courses have been developed for the light commercial van fleet drivers and RMG has no immediate plans to deploy Slow Manoeuvring or Classroom Training in Distribution.
These new courses are great opportunities to demonstrate a joint commitment to the safety of our drivers.
Yours sincerely
Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
18LTB018 New Royal Mail Group New Driver Safety Training Courses Provided by ‘Pertemps’
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