Mott MacDonald's journey towards improving driver safety
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Mott MacDonald’s
journey towards
improving driver safety
At Mott MacDonald our single most dangerous “Driving is the single most dangerous
workplace activity is driving for work. Over
the last 2 decades we have been working work activity for our people. Over
hard to keep our people safer on the roads - recent years we’ve had a clear
finding new ways to reduce fatigue, cut back
on car journeys and mitigate incident risk. focus on reducing the number
of accidents and serious injuries
Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management
and development consultancy. Our 16,000 colleagues through raising awareness, changing
are based in 150 countries around the world. In the behaviours and training our people.”
UK we employ nearly 8000 staff, and approximately
1750 of those drive on company business. Cathy Travers
Regional General Manager, EUNA
Like many organisations, we recognised that driving
posed the greatest risk for our people at work.
Tackling this effectively would require a culture
change. We took a multi-pronged approach –
starting with the right training, followed by initiatives
to reduce the number of miles driven, effective
fatigue management and steps to ensure our safer
driving values are imparted to our supply chain.
The beginning
16 years ago, our ‘Safety Wheel’ classroom training A driving at work
programme for high-speed roads was launched to handbook was published
protect colleagues driving and conducting surveys or for all staff, providing
project site visits on live high-speed carriageways. 18 advice on road rage,
months later, when research indicated that most near fatigue, distractions,
misses and small incidents happened in rural areas, we journey planning and
introduced ‘Safety Signal’ training, for roads with a limit vehicle checks, amongst
of below 50 miles per hour. Driver awareness training
was the next step, covering all general road risks for
other key areas.
The present
anyone who drives on company business. Our Driver Entitlement
Consent form, completed
Each of these courses is bespoke – designed specifically every three years (giving
for the work our people do at Mott MacDonald. permission for driving
Everyone knows the best way to avoid danger behind The Highways division in Mott MacDonald also formed
They are constantly updated to include changes in licences to be checked
the wheel is to avoid driving completely. Accepting the Driver Focus Group – tasked with finding ways to
legislation, updates from road safety organisations and with DVLA), and annual
this isn’t always possible, the Mott MacDonald Driver further reduce the number of driving related incidents.
incorporating lessons learned along the way. Driver Vehicle Declaration
Management Plan (DMP) challenges our people to We put extra support in place to make public
(confirming vehicle road
consider alternatives to driving. This process ensures transport arrangements quick and simple to make.
Training must be renewed every three years. Without it, worthiness and insurance
careful thought about weather conditions, parking, A new rule was implemented, whereby none of our
no member of staff working in the Highways division is for personal car use),
rest breaks and fitness to drive amongst other people are permitted to drive if it will take them
permitted to drive for work. The use of mobile phones are also a mandatory
considerations. over a 12-hour working day. In these instances,
(including hands-free) is always strictly forbidden for requirement for anyone
overnight accommodation will be provided.
drivers, regardless of the circumstance. driving for work.
Once complete, the traveller must discuss and agree
their plan with a Driving Safety Advisor before As a result of these initiatives and despite the number
This rule has led to our people feeling empowered to
embarking on any journey for business by car of staff doubling since 2013, 32% fewer colleagues are
stop a call if they discover a client is driving while using a
(either personal or hired). now driving on company business with 55% fewer miles
hands-free device.
driven (excluding 2020 data - skewed by COVID-19).
A copy of the signed plan must also accompany any car
hire request, or mileage expense claim.
Mileage
12000000
10000000
8000000
6000000
4000000
2000000
0
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Hire car miles Own vehicle miles Total miles
Another positive side effect of this sharp reduction in miles driven is Another area of concern at Mott MacDonald was We have promoted our approach to driving externally
significant fuel and carbon savings as shown in the graphs below. inadequately experienced drivers travelling on to fellow members of the Consultants’ Health &
unfamiliar roads or in challenging conditions. This Safety Forum and at the Chartered Institution of
issue required a more hands-on approach. Highways & Transportation (CIHT) Annual Awards
Fuel used / Cost of fuel 2019, where our Driver Focus Group initiative won
£350,000 250000 Following a successful trial in 2018, we adopted the Health & WellbeingAward. We will continue to
a new driver assessment programme. Initially an share our good practices and achievements with our
£300,000 online test, the assessment looks at a range of supply chain, in order to raise awareness of the
200000
£250,000 risk factors – including driving experience, annual benefits of managing occupational road safety risks.
mileage, behaviours and knowledge – to help
£200,000 150000
determine an individual’s overall “exposure to risk”. Continuous improvement of our safer driving culture
£150,000 100000 Staff who are deemed to be at ‘medium risk’ are through project delivery is another priority for us. In 2020
£100,000 required to undergo a 1 hour in-vehicle assessment. Mott MacDonald’s arboriculture team was commissioned
50000 to undertake a full survey of the north and mid-Wales
£50,000 This time is used to assess an individual’s trunk road network to record ash tree health – focusing
£0 0 behaviours behind the wheel as well as provide an on those affected by Ash Dieback. This disease is a major
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 opportunity to identify potential improvements. problem for the management of linear assets and it has
Total cost Litres of fuel used Meanwhile, those at ‘high risk’ are required been estimated that the health and safety implications of
to complete a half day in-vehicle driving affected roadside trees alone could cost £5.3 billion.
session with a qualified IAM assessor.
As part of our offering, a virtual survey was carried out by
Cost of Fuel vs Staff Numbers
These practical sessions can help to reduce experienced arboriculturists to locate and categorise ash
7000 £350,000 some of the risks associated with driving. trees within the geolocated imagery. We also committed
6000 £300,000 to support a parallel research project using the categorised
Other Driver Focus Group initiatives include: imagery to develop automated tools to identify and classify
5000 £250,000
• Everyone is empowered to refuse a hire car at the ash tree health. The results of the manual categorisation
4000 £200,000 point of pick up if they would not feel safe driving it from the project will be used to develop machine learning
3000 £150,000
• Staff are trained on how to check algorithms that will automate significant elements of this task.
cars for noticeable defects
2000 £100,000 • Emergency vehicle kits are provided in case of break The aspiration of this research project is that in subsequent
1000 £50,000 down or long delays (including first aid kit, warning seasons this set of tools will be used to heavily reduce
triangle, water and food, high viz jacket, emergency the need for teams to drive to survey locations and work
0 £0 contact details and in-car phone charging kit). alongside live carriageways - reducing risk for our people.
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Staff Numbers Total cost
CO2 Saved
10000
8000
8000
4000
2000
0
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
-2000
CO2 saved per year (tons) against 2013 baseline
Accumulated CO2 (tons) against 2013 baseline
CO2 Saved each year (tons) against 2013 baseline
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
-500The future
Improving driver safety is an infinite task. There Our journey to better driver safety
will always be challenges to overcome and new
ways to protect our people. We continue to
look for solutions and initiatives to reduce road Driver Entitlement Consent form
incidents across our industry and build a wider 2001
Vehicle Declaration
awareness and stronger culture of driver safety.
Feedback so far shows our people feel more Safety wheel high speed roads over
valued knowing that their safety is prioritised. 2002
50 mph training introduced
Safety wheel roads below 50 mph
Awards
2003
training introduced
• ROSPA Fleet Driver Award 2019
Driver awareness training, for anyone
• 2019 Highways England Supplier 2009
who drives on company business
Recognition Awards - shortlisted
• 2019 CIHT Health and Wellbeing Award
• Safer Highways Awards 2021 - ‘Safer Skype conferencing introduced by
Road Users’ submission 2014 Mott MacDonald to reduce the need
to travel to meetings
Driving at Work handbook
2015
published
“Driving safely is one of the
most important elements of my Driver Management
2016
site survey work. For drivers Plan implemented
Training a network of Driver Safety
who aren’t very experienced Advisors to offer advice and
like myself, driving training
reduce the number of work
journeys being undertaken
provided a great chance for Where journeys are unavoidable,
me to ask some practical providing rented accommodation
close to site when appropriate
questions. The professional
feedback from the assessor is 2017 Driver Focus Group launched
very helpful to reduce the risk
of all kinds of car accidents”. 2018
Driver assessment programme pilot
Renting houses for survey staff near
Joe Chan to scheme sites that were closer
than hotels. Ensuring our safety
Graduate Acoustic Engineer
culture and values are imparted to
our supply chain
National roll-out of the driver
2019
assessment programme
Data from driver assessment
2020 programme used to inform
additional training provision.
Review of training provider to
ensure best possible outcomes
Engineering. Management. Development.
For further information about Mott MacDonald’s safer
driving initiatives, contact Martin ThorpeYou can also read
