Turns out that focusing on employee engagement in the right industries can keep us all a lot safer. A report published by C.A. Short Company, a North Carolina-based provider of employee recognition and reward programs, states that long-haul truckers are dying in record numbers, and increasing drivers’ engagement in all aspects of their job could reduce fatalities.
According to the latest numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, truck drivers continue to have the highest tally of work fatalities, recording 918 deaths in 2016. “The National Health Institute reports that up to 70 percent of driving distractions can be prevented when a driver is engaged and focused on the task at hand,” the C.A. Short report states.
It stands to reason that getting drivers to pay more attention while they are behind the wheel will reduce accidents. However, C.A. Short’s whitepaper, “5 Tips to Engage Your Drivers,” provides ideas beyond safe driving that they say will help transportation companies cut down on serious accidents. Fittingly, these practices can be the focal point of a recognition program. They include:
- Improving employee referral and driver mentoring programs – Turnover in the industry is high and attracting new drivers has been a challenge. By showing your commitment to recruiting and retaining top employees, drivers will know their own value within the organization and will become an advocate for the organization as a whole.
- Upholding truck appearance, maintenance inspections and road logs – The arrival of new in-cab technologies have taken some of the day-to-day operational responsibility out of the hands of drivers. By bringing these operational tasks back to top of mind, trucking companies are able to engage drivers in the process, even though they are no longer daily responsibilities.
- Making healthy life choices that increase their well-being – The adage that “our people are our most valuable asset” certainly holds true in the transportation industry. Experienced drivers are safer drivers. By recognizing them for participating in wellness initiatives and for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, employers show their commitment not only to on-the-job safety, but to off-the-job wellness.
Engagement as a safety enhancer isn’t isolated to the trucking sector. C.A. Short reports that studies have found railroad workers with high levels of engagement dramatically reduce safety incidents and the chance of derailment, while engaged commercial airline workers are also far less likely to crash. Across all industries, companies with the highest levels of employee engagement experience, on average, 70 percent fewer safety incidents.
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