Safety 2008 - ASSE - American Society of Safety Engineers

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BestPracticescontinuedfrom page 41According to Breen, one reason theprogram has been successful is becauseof employee demand. UPS asked itsemployees what the company could dobetter for them, and an overwhelmingnumber responded that they desiredmore information on safety and health.“People were hungry for it,” says Breen.Ripple EffectOnce the program was created on thecorporate level, it was time for individualdistricts to take initiative implementingit in their facilities. Mike Yates, SanFrancisco area health and safety manager,has seen dramatic results among UPSemployees in his district.In May, the topic of the month was“You Can Control Your Blood Pressure.”During this month, six employees wereidentified as having high blood pressurethrough UPS’s program. According toYates, they had no idea that their bloodpressures were abnormal, and they arenow taking medication.Yates periodically brings in a nutritionistto meet with drivers, and fourlong-time smokers have successfullyquit as a result of the smoking cessationpart of the program.Scott Stevenson, a driver in Petaluma,gave up drinking coffee, quit smoking,eats less junk food and has displayed a lotof enthusiasm about his health. Anotherdriver, Marty Lindley, took up yoga.Carlson says that since Lindley beganyoga classes, she has seen a positive attitudechange in her coworker. He experiencesfewer aches and pains, possibly42 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY AUGUST 2008 www.asse.orgbecause of betterstress management.One driver, ChrisJacquez, even lost100 pounds.According toYates, the morningwalking programis the easiest andcheapest to introduceand is popular; 30 ofhis drivers participatein it.Both Yates andCarlson describethese positive results as a ripple effect. Atfirst, they say, drivers were skeptical aboutthe program, especially yoga classes.“In my building, I had to show theexample first,” Yates says. “I lost 30pounds, set the example and participatedin all the events.”According to Yates, an important partof encouraging participation in the wellnessprogram was to show employees thatit was not an us-versus-them situation, butrather an opportunity for everyone toimprove their health. Participation is notUPS has seen a decreasein absenteeism, an increasein productivity and morale,and a 60% reduction inon-the-job injuries.mandatory, so it does not feel like uppermanagement is forcing the program uponthe employees. Instead, as some started toparticipate, it sparked enthusiasm amongothers. Health and wellness became a personalvalue within the culture of the facility,and more and more employees beganto voluntarily participate.The enthusiasm for personal healtheven extends toworkers’ families.Yates started afriendly walkingand running competitionamongemployees in hisdistrict. They arechallenged to walk5,000 steps perweek, and theyreceive bonuspoints if theirspouses participate.Yates says he frequentlygets callsfrom employees’spouses thankinghim and praisingthe opportunitiesoffered by the wellnessprogram.The program has also greatly improvedmorale throughout the Petalumafacility. District managers likeYates are evaluated through the SuccessfulEmployee Relations Index, anumerical assessment of employee satisfactionwith management. Yates hasone of the highest indexes in the country,with a 98% favorable rating. Heattributes a portion of this overwhelmingsatisfaction to the implementationof the wellness program.Making It PersonalIt seems simple enough: Give employeesthe tools they need to be healthierand they will become healthier, costingthe company less money in the long runand increasing productivity in the shortrun. But according to Breen, McMackinand Yates, UPS’s wellness program goesbeyond that.“We are asking them to take personalresponsibility for their own health,” saysMcMackin. “We had to convince them tomake safety a personal value.”According to Yates, the program leadsthe employees to understand that theirboss cares about their health, and theirfamilies’ health. UPS’s investment inlongevity sends the message to employeesthat it cares about them even beyondretirement.“UPS is starting to look at us less asunits, and they are starting to see us asathletes,” Carlson says. “They are startingto look at our health as being importantto them. They have always tried tobe a family-oriented company and theyare actually sticking to that, instead ofjust [giving us] lip service.”Breen expects that in the future thewellness program will continue to helpemployees be stronger and healthier,reducing injuries and accidents in theworkplace. She hopes to see more utilizationof benefits and more participationat the district level.Sarah Bloom is a communications/marketingintern at ASSE. She is a junior at IndianaUniversity, pursuing B.A. degrees in Journalismand Spanish.
BestPracticesRetain Better DriversUsing a DRM Program to Improve Driver RetentionByDel LiskOne of themost importantaspectsof successfulDRM implementationisappropriatecoachingand feedback.Fleet turnover is increasing—no industry isimmune. It affects trucking, where the AmericanTrucking Association (ATA) reported annualizedturnover rates for truckload line-haul driversreached 116% for the second quarter of 2007. This ratehas not dropped below 100% since the fourth quarterof 2002. Similarly, it affects transit, where annual driverturnover is often 30% to 60% and personnel costsaccount for nearly 75% of a transit operator’s totalcosts. High driver turnover is a chronic problem forall transit operators; employing fewer drivers meansthat each driver works more hours and fatigue causeshigher accident rates. Other industries are also affected—thosethat use transportation to move people orproducts, such as distribution, concrete, waste, construction,energy and others.Compared to an employee turnover rate in theU.S. of only 3.3% (BLS, 2008), these figures are astonishing.And the problem is only going to get worse.For trucking alone, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)projects an 18% increased demand for drivers by2010, with the need for drivers growing by approximately600,000 new drivers, while needing to retainthe 3.2 million drivers now on the road.Understanding the ProblemTo fully comprehend turnover, one must understandthe type of turnover and number of jobs adriver has had and how both of these affect thetransportation industry. It has been found that driverswith two or more different jobs have a higherrisk of being involved in a crash than a driver withfewer than two different jobs or a more stableemployment history. Also, the more jobs a driverhas had, the higher the odds of being involved in acrash. In this area, vetting new employees will helpdetermine who is more likely to stay based on theiremployment history.For this reason, retention is paramount. By reviewingselection and hiring methods, training procedures,dispatch operations, working conditions andsafety-related awards and incentives, transportationcompanies become more aware of other opportunitiesto improve driver retention. In addition, a trainingprogram that offers drivers advancement potential,while also addressing technical and safety requirements,communicates to drivers that the companycares about them, their future and their safety.Best Practices continued on page 44SPOTLIGHTBestPracticesFleet ManagerRemote Dynamics introduces REDI2GO, a handheld portabledevice with GPS technology to provide fleet managers anddrivers with real-time maps and tracking information. Accordingto manufacturer, REDI2GO provides the same features as thealready popular REDIview2.1, in a portable version. Designed fortemporary contractors or workers who drive their own trucks,the device is about the size of a cellular phone and requires noinstallation. It provides Excessive Idling Detection, trip reports,travel history, real-time maps with instant view of details,extensive managing features and alerts of real-time exceptions,such as a door opening after business hours.Request 20 at www.psads.info.Publication of this material does notconstitute endorsement by ASSERouting SoftwareALK Technologies Inc.’s PC*MILER 22software system includes routing, mappingand mileage information for thetransportation industry. HazMat featuregenerates routes specific to staterestrictions for transporting HazMats;Streets feature provides information aboutconstruction and height/weight restrictions.Request 21 at www.psads.info.Mobile NetworkNetMotion Wireless has released MobilityXE version 8.0, the company’s mobile virtualprivate network software. Software providesnew security controls that extend corporatesecurity policies to mobile devices withoutimpacting productivity. Software allowsenterprise customers to deploy real-timeapplications like voice over IP and streamingvideo while maintaining high quality, evenover wireless networks. It also enables mobileworkers to maintain secure connections toapplications as they move through wirelesscoverage gaps and across various networks.Request 22 at www.psads.info.In-Cab ComputerXATA Corp. has released the TREQ color display unit,an in-cab touch-screen computer that drivers can usefor easier logging and communication. Device isavailable as a display option for new customers or asan upgrade for existing users of the company’sXATANET product, and is compatible with XATA’sMobileMax and XATANET systems. The 7-in., WindowsCE-based color display features a high-resolutiongraphical interface that allows drivers to input datavia touch screen. The unit incorporates several newtechnologies that provide enhanced functionality,such as navigation, onboard training, improvedgraphics and enhanced driver communications.Request 23 at www.psads.info.www.asse.org AUGUST 2008 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY 43
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Page 55 and 56: ProductPulseNEW PRODUCTS ANDINNOVAT
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Page 59 and 60: Request 3 at www.psads.infoor http:

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