Strategies to Reduce Road Accidents and Enhance Technician Safety in the Telecom Sector

Hi all!

In my company, our technicians are constantly in the field, traveling from one site to another. They are under constant pressure to reach the site at the earliest and attend to faults. This has resulted in 3 to 4 fatalities. The company does not provide them with helmets. Each time an accident happens, all the managers point fingers at me, questioning how HR is going to tackle this issue, and so on.

Frankly, how can I reduce road accidents in my company? I feel it's slightly out of one's control.

Hi Lakshmi,

First, you need to understand which sector you work in. There are still a few things to address. Begin by initiating a discussion with your management. Present to them the critical situations that have occurred in the past, along with the mental stress and pressure that have been caused as a result of such incidents. Determine a reasonable timeframe, taking into account the likelihood of employees interacting with your customers/clients. Additionally, ensure that helmets are provided for all employees. Please ensure that the management comprehends the importance of meeting the basic needs of employees in order to successfully carry out assigned tasks.

Thank you.

Hi, I am working in the telecom sector. Our technicians attend to faults in the telecom tower. So when a site is down, the region around that site experiences signal problems. Hence, the customers (Reliance/Tata/Aircel, etc., just for example's sake) also put pressure on the technicians to reach the site at the earliest.

Hi Lakshmi,

I fully concur with Mahesh and would only add: Are the vehicles provided for by the company? If so, then helmets must also be provided; if not, then the company has no obligation to do so. However, good corporate governance dictates that employee health and safety must always come first; therefore, it will be prudent to supply helmets. Furthermore, as your clients are the likes of Tata, Reliance, etc., I assume you will have Service Level Agreements. These will need to be revisited and changed to give your company more travel time. I don't see this as a problem as you can cite the fatalities that have occurred as the reason. Obviously, you will have to put this to management to take forward.

Also, you must immediately design and implement a Road Safety Campaign for the technicians, coupled with a policy clearly stating consequences if the policy is breached. There cannot be any excuse for a road accident due to time pressures.

I hope the above helps.

Regards,
Harsh

Thank you very much for the valuable feedback.

So my future course of action should be:

1) Propose to provide helmets for the technicians.

2) Get the circle head to incorporate in the service agreement that when a site is down, for the first 15 or 20 minutes (or whatever time agreeable), no customer call should go to the technician. Only after the agreed time limit, if the problem is not resolved, should the call be made from the customer end.

3) Road Safety Training: It's ironic that only last week I was in touch with the Road Safety Foundation India to conduct training for us. They charge Rs. 10,000 per session. However, they have trainers who train only in Hindi, and our local language being Tamil, this poses a difficulty. If any of you are aware of any NGOs that conduct this type of training in the South, kindly do let me know. Or is road safety training something that I can research on the net and make on my own?

Thank you very much for the help provided. I really appreciate it.

Hi Lakshmi,

Thank you for your appreciation.

Regarding point 1: Please ensure that if the company provides helmets, they are of good quality. If the helmets are substandard and a technician has an accident resulting in a head injury, the technician may have a claim against the company for providing inadequate equipment that contributed to the injury. On the other hand, if the technician purchases their own helmet and the company reimburses the cost, the technician is then responsible for ensuring the helmet meets quality standards.

Regarding point 2: I recommend proposing to the management that when a site goes down, the customer should contact the technician immediately to put them on standby. This approach will enable the technician to plan the site visit in terms of route and estimated time of arrival, allowing for any potential traffic delays. This proactive communication will help prevent rushing, reduce the risk of accidents, and avoid unnecessary delays. Effective communication is essential and will ensure compliance with service agreements.

Regarding point 3: There is a wealth of information available online to assist you in developing your training program. You can even print certificates for the technicians, which can boost morale. If you are interested, I know a proficient trainer in Mumbai who can conduct the course in English and Tamil. Please provide me with your contact details, and I will pass them on.

Regards,

Harsh

Dear Laxmi,

If your company has provided bikes to the technicians, then of course, it is the duty of the company to provide them with helmets. Otherwise, they should have their own helmets unless there are stipulations in their appointment letter or in the company's standing orders. The traffic rules state that one should wear a helmet while driving a two-wheeler. Can one tell the traffic officers that they are not wearing one because it has not been provided by the company's management? I believe that "Safety is more important than entitlement." My question is, will accidents be reduced or eliminated if the company provides helmets to the technicians and not otherwise?

My advice would be to impress upon the management that they cannot escape liabilities, as every employer is liable to compensate any employee who suffers an accident arising in the course of their employment under the Employees' Compensation Act, 1923. Therefore, it is in their own interest to give utmost attention to the safety of the technicians who are constantly on field travel duties from one site to another. Your management could consider starting some sort of incentive scheme or rewards for employees who perform their duties without any accident incidents.

BS Kalsi
Member since Aug 2011

Hi Laxmi,

I would like to add some more information regarding Mr. Mahesh and Harsh. It is important to create awareness among all employees about the importance of using helmets. You could consider showing some accident videos to emphasize the need for this safety measure. There are plenty of resources available on the internet for this purpose.

Best regards,
Sripati
Mahesh & Harsh

I don't know if this will work for you, but a suggestion is that you know where your towers are. Maybe set up satellite offices where your technicians can report on a daily basis so that they don't need to travel long distances and can reach the designated place faster. Also, the suggestions given by others are rather good ones. You should try to implement some training and also enforce new policies regarding commuting.

Dear Lakshmi,

We have managed towers with technicians and security staff for various requirements. If you need our assistance with reasonable costs for orientation on road safety, safety work practices, positive road usage, preventive methods, emergency methods during accidents, and communication, please write to us at sdbranga@yahoo.co.uk or call 9789824165. We are registered with MSME, Government of India, Chennai.

All the best.

V. Rangarajan (Chennai)

Dear Lakshmi,

We have prepared a checklist for the categories of issues, which are divided into Primary, Secondary, and Critical areas. This checklist has been developed in consultation with the client for whom we provide services. It is maintained on sites that serve as communication and planning tools on a periodic basis. The checklist is reviewed daily online and also by your field staff. It will help you identify areas of concern, such as Pin Prick, damage-prone, and backup areas. Furthermore, a significant amount of personal training related to HR, safety, and positive usage angles is incorporated into this tool. There is no magic or high-tech involved in this method.

Please let me know your thoughts on this approach. The key is effective planning and rigorous and consistent execution with the involvement of both management and field personnel.

Regards,
Management Information Resources Auditors
V. Rangarajan