The NRSPP, delivered by Monash University, aims to create engaging and accessible resources to help drivers and employers understand the law and stay safe on the roads
The National Road Safety Partnership Program (NRSPP) offers a collaborative network to support Australian businesses in developing a positive road safety culture.
The NRSPP says the work it does is about saving lives without the red tape.
The organisation says its partners recognise road safety, not as a competitive advantage, but, as a shared advantage. That collaboration will not only increase productivity but save lives.
Hosted and delivered by Monash University’s Accident Research Centre (MUARC) the NRSPP develops a range of free resources for drivers and transport operators to make use of with the aim of making Australian roads a safer place for everyone.
Among the more well-known work the program delivers are the popular Toolbox Talks. They are a training package which include a series of downloadable brochures, available for free on its website. The aim of the materials is to facilitate educational talks between drivers and employers.
The NRSPP says its Toolbox Talks are an effective and cost-efficient way to communicate information and knowledge about driving safety, health and safety and operational issues within a workplace.
The talks are designed to take approximately 15-20 minutes each, with an employer sitting down with a group of their employees, going through the materials and then asking each person to contribute their own opinion.
The NRSPP is always trying to extend its reach into the transport community and recently celebrated a new partnership with the National Road Transport Association (NatRoad).
NatRoad CEO Warren Clark says the association wants to work with organisations that support Australian businesses to develop a positive road safety culture and NRSPP fit the bill.
“We have jointly developed a series of Heavy Vehicle Toolbox Talks to help operators deliver engaging safety messages on topics relevant to heavy vehicle drivers’ daily tasks,” Clark says.
“We all have an opportunity to be a leader when it comes to safety. From senior management to workers, a positive road safety culture is everyone’s responsibility.
“This invaluable resource, hosted and delivered by Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC), gives operators the knowledge to embed safety in their businesses.”
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Jerome Carslake is the program director at the NRSPP
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Program director Jerome Carslake says the NRSPP is also very pleased with the partnership.
“We’re hoping that our partnership with NatRoad will help give us a whole new range of insights from real drivers and transport operators.
“We would love for issues to flow upwards from NatRoad to the NRSPP and let us know what matters to industry and what new toolbox talks and other resources people want to see.
“It’s a two-way, win-win, partnership,” Carslake says.
The NRSPP’s resources have proven to be a very effective way to disseminate important safety information in the transport community. More effective than most in-house educational programs rolled out by your average transport company.
Carslake says this is due to the authentic, bottom-up nature of the resource development process.
“What makes our talks so powerful is the fact that its truck drivers talking to other truck drivers.
“They’re developed to an adult style of learning while deliberately designed to be really engaging too.
“At the end of the day we want our talks to feel like a natural conversation between peers,” Carslake says.
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An example of one of the Toolbox Talks safety packages
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Carslake says this style of development is known as a strengths-based approach, or positive approach, to education. The NRSPP produces content that empowers truck drivers and gives them tools to make their own decisions rather than talking down to or lecturing them.
In short, the toolbox talks help people to understand the ‘why’ behind road laws and regulations.
Carslake says that his time at the NRSPP developing safety modules has taught him to appreciate the great skill and professionalism of transport workers.
“What I’ve seen is that truck drivers are very proud of what they do, they’re very good of what they do, and they love their job.
“The people I’ve met and have spoken to do not conform to your usual stereotype of truck drivers or transport workers.”
“We want to provide a soapbox platform for drivers to feel comfortable saying anything they want,” Carslake says.
The newest set of resources the NRSPP is working on is to do with fatigue, more specifically how drivers can learn to understand their own body’s fatigue.
Other ongoing areas of interest for the program include driver mental health and support networks.
Overall, the NRSPP can be thought of as providing a holistic approach to driver education and safety.
“We don’t just want companies to aim for the bare minimum standards when it comes to compliance and safety,” Carslake says.
“We will always strive for an evidence-based approach to understanding the laws and regulation of the industry.
“Our goal is to humanise truck drivers. We want light vehicle drivers to understand they there’s a real person behind the wheel of every truck you see, it’s not just an obstacle on the road to be avoided.”
You can view the full range of free safety resources on the NRSPP website here.