Page 84 - Occupational Health & Safety, September 2017

TRANSPORTATION SAFETY
Will Electronic Logs Change Your Safety Culture?
Follow these five steps to prepare for the collision of culture and technology.
BY MARK SCHEDLER
The impact of installing electronic logs can’t be understated. When culture and a major change collide, the existing culture will win for longer than you may expect. Implement- ing electronic logs is a technological change, and even more so, a cultural change. Cultural changes can take a great deal of time if not well planned.
Organizations adopting electronic logs must have an implementation plan that is focused on more than the drivers’ use of the devices in the truck. The plan must also define behavioral expectations associated with using the hours-of-service data to safely and le- gally dispatch drivers who have transitioned to elec- tronic logs—without violating the relatively new anti- harassment regulation.
Have you witnessed a similar scenario at your company?
“A top-producing driver named Pat calls in at 4:30
p.m. and alerts dispatch that their largest customer’s first load off the new production line is at risk of being late due to Pat’s low hours caused by loading delays. The dispatcher tells Pat, ‘This load can’t be late or we’ll lose the account. Pat, you have to do the best you can, like you always do.’”
If the above scenario sounds familiar, your com- pany’s current culture may influence the team to view electronic logs as a barrier to good customer service or as an inhibitor to maximum miles for drivers and company assets. The journey to an improved safety culture with electronic logging devices (ELDs) is not quick, and it can be challenging. Following these five steps can ease the transition:
1. Obtain leadership buy-in of the new vision. 2. Develop clear policies and procedures.
3. Encourage ongoing dialogue.
4. Coach with behavior-based data.
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