At Flagger Force, safety isn’t just a priority, it’s a core value embedded in everything we do. As a company with a workforce of over 2,100 employees, managing over 1,000 vehicles and 355 towables across more than 1,000 job sites every day, our approach to risk control is comprehensive and far-reaching. We understand the importance of creating a safe work environment for our teams, minimizing equipment damage, and delivering industry-leading traffic control services to our clients. That’s why we continually invest in innovative technologies and safety solutions that protect our employees and enhance overall efficiency.
Our Holistic Approach to Risk Control
Flagger Force recognizes that our employees are the heart of our operations. Our crews are dispatched to job sites from their homes using our proprietary dispatch app, which makes their workflow seamless. These employees often work in varied locations and with different clients, so having a robust risk control strategy is essential. Crew Leaders (CLs) and Advanced Crew Leaders (ACLs) are provided with well-equipped company trucks, which are stocked with necessary signs, cones, and equipment to set up compliant work zones efficiently. They rely heavily on our award-winning employee communication app, In The Zone (ITZ), which boasts a 98% voluntary activation rate among employees. This app plays a pivotal role in ensuring our teams have real-time access to resources and communication.
We recognized early on that enhancing employee safety required more than just providing tools and equipment—it also required the development of a culture that promotes continuous learning and improvement. That’s why Flagger Force was one of the first to introduce a microlearning system in this industry, which plays a key role in our risk control initiatives.
Leveraging Microlearning for Employee Safety
In June of 2022, Flagger Force implemented a “microlearning” learning management system (LMS) aimed at enhancing employee safety through targeted, bite-sized lessons. Microlearning delivers content in short, 3–5-minute lessons, each with a specific learning objective. This method is perfect for adult learners, especially those working in fast-paced, dynamic environments like ours. It allows employees to complete lessons during their workday without overwhelming them.
By integrating this LMS into our employee communication app, ITZ, we achieved impressive results. Recognizing the high engagement already achieved through ITZ, our team ensured that we capitalized on this opportunity instead of adding another standalone system or app. With no prior marketing, 84% of our employees voluntarily used the system within three days of its rollout—an outstanding result considering that the average voluntary usage rate for LMS platforms typically hovers around 20-25%. Over the course of two years, the microlearning platform has delivered significant returns. With nearly 190,000 completions across more than 300 custom courses, employee feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. In fact, 94% of employees reported that they found the microlearning format helpful.
Impact on Safety and Efficiency
The results speak for themselves. Since the introduction of microlearning, Flagger Force has seen a 60% reduction in heat illness injuries among field employees, which is a direct testament to the effectiveness of our risk control strategies. Moreover, CLs and ACLs who complete driving-related lessons have performance scores 11% higher than those who don’t complete these lessons. This is a clear indication of the positive impact that targeted training has on both safety and performance.
Additionally, the combination of ITZ and microlearning has driven a 20% increase in app usage, enhancing overall communication and engagement within the company. Employees can access valuable resources quickly and efficiently, which leads to better decision-making and a reduction in safety risks.
Measuring Success and Achieving Cost Savings
Flagger Force is not just about improving safety; we’re also committed to ensuring that our risk control solutions translate into measurable financial benefits. One key area of focus has been reducing the costs associated with vehicle damage. By using the data collected through our communication app and microlearning lessons, we’ve been able to improve our ability to recover the costs of vehicle damage caused by third parties.
Root cause analysis showed that many of our no-recovery claims were due to incomplete information gathered during third-party incident reporting. To address this, we developed a microlearning course focused on teaching employees how to gather more complete information during such incidents. The results have been impressive: we’ve seen a 10% increase in our recovery frequency, and the total claim costs incurred have decreased by 15%.
This reduction in claims has occurred despite our company experiencing 20% growth during the same period—an impressive feat given the challenges that typically accompany periods of expansion. These savings directly impact our fleet safety, liability coverage, worker compensation, and overall insurance exposure.
Safety Doesn’t Stop Here
As we continue to innovate and refine our risk control solutions, we remain committed to enhancing employee safety and operational efficiency. In 2024, we introduced promotional pre-requisite microlearning courses for employees seeking leadership roles, ensuring that they are fully prepared before they undergo leadership training.
Our ongoing success is a direct result of our commitment to safety, continuous learning, and innovation. Flagger Force’s ability to reduce injuries, decrease costs, and improve performance across our workforce shows the power of effective risk control solutions in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment. As we move forward, we will continue to rely on our cutting-edge technologies, dedicated training programs, and employee-centric approach to ensure that safety remains at the forefront of everything we do.
At Flagger Force, safety isn’t just a goal, it’s a constant pursuit. And through innovation, collaboration, and a steadfast focus on our employees, we’ll continue to lead the industry in creating safer work environments for everyone.
