Pointer ensures employees are up to speed on road safety

Citation

(2005), "Pointer ensures employees are up to speed on road safety", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 37 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/ict.2005.03737gab.005

Pointer ensures employees are up to speed on road safety

A Glasgow-based security company with clients across the world is committed to improving road-safety levels by ensuring its drivers are of the highest calibre.

Pointer, which specialises in providing security products using internet-protocol, network and wireless technology, is renowned in the industry for placing training at the heart of its business. One of the most popular, and unusual, aspects of the Pointer training and development programme is its advanced driving-course at Knockhill, a Scottish racing centre.

Hugh Lawson, Pointer’s learning and development manager, said: “To date, 90 members of staff have taken part in the advanced-driving course. Since we introduced the course, the number of insurance claims made by our company car drivers has fallen considerably”.

Pointer produces monthly supervisor reports, detailing employees’ average miles per gallon (mpg), as well as number of accidents. This information is passed on to the instructors at Knockhill, who tailor the course accordingly. Employees who continue to exceed the average mpg or who are involved in an accident are sent back to Knockhill for further training and one-to-one tuition.

Hugh Lawson continued: “We believe that good driving is about attitude and our training course is tailored with this in mind. We are also aware of the importance of recognising and rewarding good driving practice, and have recently introduced a new award scheme further to encourage and reward responsible driving”.

The one-day course includes theoretical and practical exercises tailored to Pointer’s requirements. “All new starts attend the course, which begins with a 45-minute classroom session, designed to improve their observation skills in identifying hazards”, said Alistair Fraser, driver trainer at Knockhill. “The course goes on to cover a number of essential vehicle checks. Staff are then paired up and taken on a practical demonstration by one of our advanced-driving instructors. Pointer employees are then assessed on various road types, with further assessment on car control, vehicle positioning, awareness and ‘car sympathy’”.

The day ends with a debriefing, when the instructors give the staff their feedback, as well as highlighting the areas where they need to improve.

Engineer Martin Duffy, aged 25, said: “The advanced-driving course was very informative and also great fun. The highlight of the day for me was the off-road section, which really put your driving skills to the test. I also found the vehicle-assessment checks very informative and have no doubt the tips I picked up will serve me in good stead in the future”.

Hugh Lawson continued: “We try to make the driving course as interesting and inclusive as possible, and we look to do this by providing practical demonstrations, whereby the apprentices can watch and then implement what they have learned. We are committed to providing our employees with a continuous professional-development programme, and the advanced-driving course is an important aspect of this as it encourages safe and responsible driving”.

Ray Smith, public-relations manager at Knockhill, said: “Not surprisingly, this part of the Knockhill business is flourishing as roads become increasingly congested and the risk of being involved in an accident multiplies every year. More and more companies are acting responsibly by ensuring that their employees receive the best defensive and advanced training available. It is all about being responsible and taking personal pride in your driving standards”.