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Unsafe driving & lack of employer enforcement of safety policies contributes to work-related crash:  A 45-year old salesperson was killed in a motor vehicle incident while traveling to meet with clients. The victim had worked for the company 6 years and was reimbursed for mileage and other costs associated with the use of his personal vehicle for work-related driving. Traveling in excess of 90 miles per hour along an interstate highway, he lost control of his car and was ejected when the vehicle became airborne and rolled over.  The victim, who was not wearing a seatbelt, died at the scene.  In the previous 14 months he had been involved in another motor vehicle incident and he had 3 other speeding violations. [Source:  FACE Report 93WY006]
 
Adrienne N. Newsom, Attorney At Law can help organizations develop and implement driver safety programs that encompass applicable provisions of American National Standards Institute standard Z15.1 Safe Practices for Motor Vehicle Operations.
 
ANSI Standard Z15.1 Can Help Organizations Prevent Roadway Crashes
 
National Institute For Occupational Safety and Health (“NIOSH”) was actively involved in the development of a new voluntary standard for preventing motor vehicle crashes. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard Z15.1, Safe Practices for Motor Vehicle Operations, was approved on February 15, 2006. The standard, designed for organizations whose employees drive on the job, contains minimum requirements for workplace traffic safety programs along with comprehensive guidance to protect all workers who operate motor vehicles as part of their job.
 
Organizations of all sizes can use the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z15.1 Safe Practices for Motor Vehicle Operations to help reduce roadway crashes and the high costs associated with them. The Z15.1 standard provides guidelines for developing a motor vehicle safety program for employers for employers with one vehicle or a fleet.
 
The ANSI Z15.1 standard provides organizations with the minimum requirements for developing driver safety policies and procedures. The standard applies to organization-owned and leased vehicles for business and personal use, and also rental vehicles for business use. The standard excludes off-road recreational vehicles and unlicensed equipment.
 
The ANSI Z15.1 standard addresses factors within the operational environment that may increase the likelihood of roadway crashes such as impaired, distracted or aggressive driving practices.   The standard also provides driver requirements from qualifications and training programs to record keeping, incident reporting and data analysis. It also provides motor vehicle safety guidelines for inspections and maintenance as well as safety considerations when purchasing or modifying motor vehicles.
 
American Society of Safety Engineers Council on Practices and Standards Vice President James D. Smith, CSP, said, “The ANSI Z15.1 standard is an essential tool in establishing safe driving practices, and providing a means for employers to control the risks associated with the operation of motor vehicles. These risks can lead to lost lives, lower productivity, property loss and higher insurance costs brought on by roadway accidents.”
  
Preventing work-related roadway crashes
 
Roadway crashes are the leading cause of occupational fatalities in the U.S. Between 1992 and 2001, 13,337 civilian workers died in roadway crashes, an average of 4 deaths each day. Roadway crashes led all other causes, making up 22% of workplace deaths, compared with 13% from homicide and 10% from falls (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries). In 2000, lost wages and benefits for crash victims (occupational and non-occupational) were $61 billion. Costs to employers due to the loss or absence of an employee from work accounted for $4.6 billion more (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). For employers and victims, a workplace crash can have far-reaching financial, medical, and legal consequences.
 
Who is at risk? 
 
Anyone who operates a motor vehicle as part of his or her job is at risk of being involved in a roadway crash. In 2001, nearly 4.2 million U.S. workers were motor vehicle operators; 73% were truck drivers. Roadway crashes are by far the leading cause of death for transport workers. Millions of other workers who are not full-time professional drivers operate company or personal vehicles for deliveries, sales and repair calls, client visits, and many other tasks. Roadway crashes are also the leading cause of death for workers in clerical and professional specialty jobs, and the second leading cause for executives, sales workers, and technicians. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey and Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries)
 
What Can Employers Do?
 
Unlike other workplaces, the roadway is not a closed environment. Preventing work-related roadway crashes requires strategies that combine traffic safety principles and sound safety management practices. Although employers cannot control roadway conditions, they can promote safe driving behavior by providing safety information to workers and by setting and enforcing driver safety policies. Crashes are not an unavoidable part of doing business. Employers can take steps to protect their employees and their companies:
 
Policies
  • Assign a key member of the management team responsibility and authority to set and enforce comprehensive driver safety policy.
  • Enforce mandatory seat belt use.
  • Do not require workers to drive irregular hours.
  • Do not require workers to conduct business on a cell phone while driving.
 Fleet Management
  • Adopt a structured vehicle maintenance program.
  • Provide company vehicles that offer the highest possible levels of occupant protection.
 Safety Programs
  • Teach workers strategies for recognizing and managing driver fatigue and in-vehicle distractions.
  • Provide training to workers operating specialized motor vehicles or equipment.
  • Emphasize to workers the need to follow safe driving practices on and off the job.
 Driver Performance
  • Ensure that workers assigned to drive on the job have a valid driver’s license and one that is appropriate for the type of vehicle to be driven.
  • Check driving records of prospective employees, and perform periodic rechecks after hiring.
  • Maintain complete and accurate records of workers’ driving performance.

[Source: NIOSH Publication No. 2004-136]

Adrienne N. Newsom, Attorney At Law helps organizations develop and implement preventive strategies that combine traffic safety principles and sound safety management practices in an overall effort to reduce the risk of work-related roadway crashes.  To request a proposal please fill out our  Consultation Form.