Know your audience
Whatever the reason that you ’ ve settled on this group ( we ’ ll call them ‘ employees ’ for convenience ), it ’ s important that you get to know your intended audience before you design your approach .
When working on , or with , a particular employee group (‘ HGV drivers ’ for example , or ‘ employees of Wells and Savigar Ltd ’), whether that be via large group education ( perhaps as a result of an invitation from an employer ) or one-to-one engagement ( perhaps as the result of a roadside stop ), knowledge of the organisation will be useful in creating an approach .
Employers have a duty of care with regards to their employees . Breach of this duty can result in criminal prosecution and substantial fines , not to mention reputational damage . So if it is a specific organisation or employer that is of focus to your approach , identify if they have a policy on distracted driving and / or mobile phone use while driving . Something should be in place , but you may find that an effective first step is to start at the top and engage the company at a level where phrases like ‘ duty of care ’ really mean something . If an organisation does have a policy , check that it is an appropriate and meaningful one that discourages all forms of mobile phone . And it shouldn ’ t be contradicted by other policies and practices - for example when schedules encourage use on the move . Having a policy is one thing - having a meaningful one is another . Make sure that policies are enforced , not just written down , that employees know they exist , and that there are consequences for breaking them .
You can find out more about and employer ’ s duty of care towards their employees at http :// www . hse . gov . uk / workers / employers . htm
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