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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