One of the major changes made with the introduction of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 which came into effect last year, is an added expectation and responsibility on business owners to ensure that communication is facilitated across the workplace. There is a duty to ensure your people understand how to operate safely and that they have the ability to report back any risks or safety concerns and that everyone works together to improve safety within the workplace.

For many business owners in the transport industry, this provides some unique challenges – drivers working varying hours around the clock, often remotely or from different sites, while at the same time working within the confines of logbook hours often means running a toolbox or holding regular meetings can be difficult.

Another complication involves drivers more often than not operating in other business’ work places, sites or farms. While some of these businesses operate and follow good health and safety practices, others simply do not. This can leave the driver and the transport business owner at risk should something go wrong. We often receive feedback and hear stories from transport operators we work with and their drivers who are frustrated with the facilities and conditions they are expected to operate in at other business workplaces, where they feel they have limited influence.

Business owners need to get the communications balance right. This means ensuring everyone in the workplace is aware of safety updates and that workers have the ability to report concerns (both drivers and others) they may have about facilities or unsafe practices they face on the job to ensure these are recorded and dealt with.

Often this means rethinking what a traditional toolbox meeting might look like. This could include; putting on a breakfast once a month on a Saturday morning and trying to get everyone involved; or ensuring the dispatchers are recording all reported risks and following up with safety updates; or making better use of technology.

Safe Business Solutions Limited (SBS) have developed an E-Text Toolbox solution which allows weekly two way communications, simplifying safety communications between business owners and their workers if they are mobile or remote to the business. Contact us on 0508 424 723 to find out more about this service.