On the 22nd of July, 16 utility companies from the electrical, gas, telecommunications and water sectors came together at the 2015 NRSPP Utilities Forum to discuss how their organisations manage road safety, benchmark their performance and compare risk management. SA Power Networks hosted the day in Glenelg, Adelaide.

The day operated under Chatham House Rules and released this Final Report as a summary of the day’s agenda and public outputs. The Utilities Forum will now continue to meet bimonthly through a regular video conference to continue to share knowledge and solutions on managing road safety and its related risks.

Key outcomes from the day:

  • The total fleet was in excess of 26,000 plus vehicles.
  • Of the light vehicles 85% were 5 Star ANCAP, there is a lag as vehicles are changed over but some vehicles will never be classed as 5 Star because the vehicle has to be modified to provide support tasks for its job.
  • The average percentage of vehicles fitted with telematics as 19 per cent. A major issue was telematics providers over promising what the technology could achieve or the problem not sufficiently scoped. Running small test trials first was crucial for proof of concept.
  • Each of the Utilities Forum Partners were asked to identify their top three risks which are summarised below:

  • The risks explored in detail on the day include:
    • Fatigue
    • Remote operations
    • Driver distraction