The company’s additional day off linked to lost-time incidents is described as a “great incentive and fantastic reward”.
Lafarge’s emphasis is very much on employees taking responsibility for their own actions with regards to health and safety, although planned measures likes its formal driver training programme have been introduced.
Another initiative is the mobile telephone-related It’s Your Call.
Rather than banning mobile phone use, Lafarge is urging its employees to carefully consider whether they make or answer a call while driving.
“The initiative makes it clear what the company’s view is,” Elliott says. “We believe it is a move towards a voluntarily policed policy where no one uses a mobile telephone while driving.
“We work in a dangerous environment and it needs to be managed with the right attitude. Safety is as much a cultural skill as a practical one.”
Lafarge has a leased fleet of 270 light commercial vehicles with a four-year/120,000-mile replacement policy.
In the sub two-tonne sector it operates Vauxhall Combo and Corsa models, while above that weight vehicles are typically Ford Transits in a multitude of guises to fit different job needs.
There are also 45 4x4s, which are particularly required for use in quarries and include Ford Rangers, Toyota Hilux and an off-road version of the Citroën Berlingo XTR.
Switch to GE Capital
In 2010, Lafarge switched leasing suppliers for its car and van fleet and opted for GE Capital.
The move led to the implementation of a company car driver risk programme, which contributed to Lafarge (UK) Services winning this year Fleet News Awards’ Fleet of Year (501-1,000 vehicles) category.
Initially almost half of Lafarge’s drivers completed the programme – included as part of the leasing arrangements with GE – which features a questionnaire, online training and, if required, one-to-one on-the-road training.
Lafarge is putting its remaining 160 van drivers through the initiative.
Meanwhile, the company, in partnership with Balfour Beatty Plant & Fleet Services, has introduced a specialist driver training programme for light commercial 4x4 off-road users.
Lafarge and Balfour Beatty, the international construction and engineering company, have strong trading links and the latter has developed and launched its own bespoke multi-award winning Driver Risk Management Programme for commercial vehicle drivers.
Backed by the Lafarge board, the initiative supplements the GE-supported training, involves van drivers completing a detailed online assessment – the Driver Risk Index – that determines an individual’s risk profile.
Tailored training programme
The risk rating determines the level of driver training required – typically e-learning or one-to-one on- and off-road.
Darron Jones - 18/08/2015 05:22
Im a class 1 lorry driver and as u can imagine I've seen some bad driving but nothing as bad as WN15 FUD the van going through Ashford Kent at 0500 today, that driver over took me the wrong side of keep left signs on a bend and I was in my car.