We live in an age of multi-tasking. In the cleaning industry, business owners want their field personnel to be in close touch with the office — that helps in delivering cost-effective service to customers.
But multi-tasking has its risks, especially if it means technicians must place and receive calls on cell phones or use other electronic devices while driving. The dangers of drivers using cell phones are now quite well documented. If your company does not have policies to cover safe communication procedures for field personnel, perhaps that is something to consider, and soon.
They’re everywhere
It’s no secret that cell phone use has exploded. The Cellular Telecom-munications & Internet Association reported in May 2007 that more than 236 million people in the United States subscribed to wireless communication devices — versus 4.3 million in 1990.
As cell phone use has grown, so has the prevalence of talking on the phone while driving. There are two specific dangers. First, drivers look away from the road while dialing. Second, people get so involved in their phone conversations that they fail to concentrate on driving.
Research indicates that talking on a cell phone isn’t the most hazardous of driver distractions (drowsiness and reaching for an object such as a coffee cup are worse) but it contributes to the most accidents because so many people do it.
One study in Australia found that people who use cell phones while driving are four times as likely as others to get into crashes serious enough to hurt themselves. The study also found that switching to hands-free phones would not necessarily help: the risk did not vary with type of phone.
Now, take a technician stressed from a busy day and late for a call, add a series of phone contacts from the office, and you have the makings of a dangerous situation. It is bad enough to contemplate an accident that injures your technician or someone else. It is worse to add the risk of an accident leading to a lawsuit against your company. There are documented cases where plaintiff lawyers subpoenaed cell phone records of drivers involved in accidents to see if they were on the phone at the time.
Making rules
In view of these dangers, many businesses are creating policies that forbid their employees to talk on cell phones while driving. Such a policy is probably impractical for a service business that needs communication between the office and the field. Still, there are steps your business can take, short of outright prohibition, to reduce the risks.
Many service businesses, from real estate brokerages to building maintenance contractors to lawn-care and pest-control operators, have experience with cell phone safety procedures and policies. Here are some common threads:
Use only hands-free devices. These are not 100 percent safe, but they do create less disruption and distraction for employees who need to take calls.
Post warnings. Put notices in service trucks to remind technicians that their first job is to arrive safely at their destination — not to transact business over the phone.
Provide alternatives. Allow employees to have incoming calls forwarded to an answering service or voice mail. Then they can retrieve the messages when they get to the next stop or take a work break. Of course, dispatch calls would need to get through, but drivers and office personnel should know to keep such calls brief.
Apply common sense. Instruct employees to dial only while stopped and to pull off the road at a safe place for any long conversation. Advise them not to use the phone in heavy traffic or bad weather and to avoid having stressful conversations while driving.
Create accountability. Make it clear that employees are responsible for any fines or other costs related to traffic infractions connected with improper use of a cell phone while driving.
Put it in writing
Your business should have a policy on the use of cell phones in vehicles that every field employee must read and sign. Ideally, develop an in-person or video presentation on the dangers of using cell phones while driving and make sure every employee and new hire sees it. The presentation should include examples of improper behaviors and the consequences of violations.
With input from your management team and employees, and with consultation from your attorney, you can create a workable cell phone policy that enables you to conduct business efficiently while keeping your people from taking needless risks.
