Testing times for company vehicle operators – and passing grades for the latest safety course

Monday, June 22, 2009, 12:00 pm

Press Release: GSB Supplycorp LTD

Enhanced safety awareness, significant new insights into reducing wear and tear on company vehicles and a greater sense of driving confidence all emerged as major points of appreciation among participants in an innovative course offered for the first time this month by GSB and Boomrock.

The programme was launched at the purpose-built vehicle testing facility at the picturesque Boomrock site, a track that was created with the assistance of Peter Brock, and offers a variety of different experiences – from open road to country lane, in dry and wet conditions drivers do hands-on driver training – many of which were in evidence for the opening session of FleetSafe NZ.

Drawing on the latest international research, the half-day programme has been designed to help organisations avoid potential tragedy and improve profitability at a time when there are more company fleets in service than there are commercial drivers.

FleetSafe NZ is a nationwide course run by qualified driving experts, incorporating four NZQA unit standards and involves both theoretical and practical instruction. Participants may also choose to have an on-line risk-assessment completed ahead of their attendance in order to allow for customised tutoring.

ACC, Workplace Safety Team Manager, Debbie Stearns made the point that, while heavy vehicle training has been seen as important for a long time, light vehicle driver training has only recently come into focus.

"New vehicles have safety features which require training to be effectively operated," Ms Stearns noted.

"Training in the use of these safety features is critical to their proper use. We know that most people learn best by doing – and what could be more effective than having a professional driver train in the use of these features and then allowing the trainee to 'feel' the effect in a non-emergent situation. "

Among the additional values of driver training, she pointed out, is the reinforcement it offers for additional social messages such as not drink-drug driving, awareness of fatigue driving and the issue of driver distraction, the importance of wearing a seatbelt and keeping to the speed limit or less.

Mike Bourke, an Account Manager with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, agreed. Any forward-looking company " would find this programme very useful, " Mr. Bourke said. "I also think they would find a drop in expenses for damage to vehicles, and, if they take on the economic lessons of it, they'll see a drop in their fuel bill as well.

It's a very good exercise. Any drivers with fleet cars will find it a great idea. Driving a company car fast along a straight line might be dead easy, but driving it properly is quite another story, and that's where a lot of problems happen – and that's something that this initiative addresses. "

GSB Supplycorp CEO Peter Royle said that organisations participating in FleetSafe NZ also stand to benefit in terms of fulfilling their obligations under the Health and Safety in Employment Act, which requires employers to take all reasonable steps to provide a safe working environment, including a "crash-free" safety culture.

Mr Royle said the upbeat response to the programme showed it was a natural fit for GSB's existing work in assisting clients with all aspects of fleet sourcing and fleet management, including documenting fit-for-purpose requirements, interrogating whole-of-life costs and developing fleet policy.

GSB Driver Training Media Release

Tuesday , May 19, 2009, 12:00 pm

Press Release: GSB Supplycorp LTD

Employers and employees who use motor vehicles for work purposes stand to benefit from an innovative vehicle awareness and driver safety programme developed by GSB Supplycorp and Boomrock.

FleetSafe NZ, a new programme drawing on the latest international research and new vehicle technology, offers drivers of passenger vehicles, vans and utility vehicles, as well as 4WD and specialist vehicles such as ambulances, the tools to improve their driving safety, reduce fuel usage and save lives through reduced crash risk.

The nationwide programme is run by highly qualified driving experts, and incorporates four NZQA-approved unit standards and involves both theoretical and practical instruction for participants, who may also choose to have an on-line risk-assessment completed ahead of their attendance in order to allow for individualised tutoring.

Participants in the half-day course can expect to enjoy an overall decrease in wear and tear on their vehicles, significantly reduced fuel costs, a decrease in costs associated with accidents, which in the long-term will see lower ACC and insurance premiums for their organisations.

"I can't think of anything a company could do to better protect their employees than introducing them to FleetSafe NZ", Boomrock owner Jonny Eastwick believes. "This is a programme that incorporates the theoretical and the practical, with an educational DVD, based on the latest international research".

"After seven years of testing, measuring and developing Fleetsafe NZ, we now hear from clients all the time asking us why all drivers of a motor vehicle aren't exposed to this trend-setting programme".

Recent research has shown that motor vehicle driving represents the leading cause of death or injury in the workplace, with as many as a quarter of all collisions involving commercial vehicles.

Other studies suggest that improving individual driving habits can also reduce fuel consumption by as much 25%.

"Taken together, the evidence convincingly shows that the misuse of motor vehicles can be a very costly business", GSB Supplycorp CEO Peter Royle said.

Participating organisations would also benefit in terms of fulfilling their obligations under the Health and Safety in Employment Act, which requires employers to take all reasonable steps to provide a safe working environment, including a crash-free safety culture.

Mr Royle said GSB already enjoys a reputation for assisting clients with all aspects of fleet sourcing and fleet management, including documenting fit-for-purpose requirements, whole-of-life costs and developing fleet policy.

The procurement service provider already invests considerable amounts of time in updating supplier data around safety, sustainability and whole of life costs in order to ensure its clients take key elements into consideration when sourcing motor vehicles.