Originally published on Liberty Mutual branded experience site, “Passion to Protect.'“
Watch out for hub snakes. Walk like a penguin. At UPS, every potential risk merits attention, from cleaning up trip hazards of leftover packaging (plastic-corded “hub snakes”) to learning how to traverse the ice and snow (with inspiration from the South Pole).
The global transportation company responsible for delivering 2 percent of the world’s GDP has made safety one of the top priorities for its 100,000 drivers on the road each day.
“We invest so much in safety programs to protect our most valuable asset,” said UPS CEO David Abney, including $175 million dedicated to safety training in 2013.
UPS’s commitment to safety extends throughout the company and beyond through its close collaboration with risk control professionals at Liberty Mutual Insurance, who make frequent trips to distribution centers to review local processes and provide their expertise on ways to improve the safety of them.
Three principles, in particular, help keep this global delivery service running safely.
1. Adhere to a few basic truths.
“The keys to space and visibility” are described as a UPS “truth,” and they’re fundamental to driver safety. Simply put, they’re a reminder to drivers to leave enough space around their vehicles to react to the other cars on the road, and to ensure they have clear visibility of the roadway around them.
UPS trains drivers on its own “10-Point Commentary Checklist” for hazard avoidance. These steps call for drivers to always look eight to 12 seconds down the road, and from “ditch-line to ditch-line” or “fence-line to fence-line,” to spot potential risks while there’s still time to react to them. By observing in advance that there are children playing in a yard down the road, for example, a driver is better prepared to react if one of them darts into the street.
2. Make training an ongoing part of the job.
UPS drivers around the world begin with the same standard training programs that get them out on the road with a certified trainer quickly. Alexi Carli, Vice President, Global Health and Safety at UPS, explained the value of training on the road for new drivers: “They begin to understand the concepts of defensive driving. It’s explained to them. It’s demonstrated. Then they get a chance to practice, with some coaching and feedback.”
In addition to training on the road, UPS has a training center called Integrad that includes a variety of simulations of real-world conditions. A “slip and fall machine” simulates slippery conditions, to help drivers practice making deliveries on snow and ice. Students wear a safety harness and lanyard to practice safely. To do so without sliding, instructors tell trainees to walk like a penguin — and sometimes they even use real penguins to demonstrate.
3. Empower employees to lead the charge.
Guidance and training from peers play an important role at UPS. “Our employees really can mentor other people throughout the whole process. Whether it’s internally or externally, we’re always mentoring someone to be safer,” said Global Fleet Safety Manager Emilio Lopez.
There are more than 3,300 employee-led safety committees around the world that evaluate how to implement and improve safety and wellness for their fellow workers through the Comprehensive Health and Safety Process (CHSP).
CHSP committees often engage in daily communication to share advice and resources. In Roswell, Georgia, this includes things like putting up posters and signs with proper safety practices by the doors and in the driveway as trucks pull out, reminding them to watch out for children and be aware of their surroundings.
Some of these committees also initiate employee wellness programs. In Petaluma, California, a driver started organizing yoga as a warm-up. (Drivers, on average, walk five miles a day.) The Petaluma drivers had no accidents for the next year.
From CHSP members to the UPS top executives, safety is truly integrated into everything the company does. “Knowing that we are rooted in safety as a common value helps me sleep at night,” Carli said.