Global road safety for workers
Encyclopedia
Global road safety for workers refers to the economic, societal, and legal ramifications of protecting workers from automobile-related injury, disability, and death. Road traffic crashes
are a leading cause of occupational fatalities throughout the world, especially in developing countries. In addition to the suffering of the workers and their families, businesses and society also bear direct and indirect costs. These include increased insurance premiums, the threat of litigation, loss of an employee, and destruction of property.
Workers at risk include drivers of commercial trucks and buses; workers who are not professional drivers, but who drive smaller trucks or passenger vehicles provided by their employer; workers who drive personal vehicles for work purposes; pedestrians, particularly roadside workers; and commuters.
, World Health Organization
, World Bank
, and International Labour Organization
. The WHO coordinates the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration, an effort drawing together government, business, and non-government organizations.
Organizations such as the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) and the Fleet Forum focus on safety in lower- and middle-income nations. They coordinate efforts among local and national governments and businesses. Organizations such as Driving for Better Business advocate change by outlining the business benefits of improved road safety for workers. The Make Roads Safe
campaign, funded by the UK's FIA Foundation, seeks to influence policies, budgets, and agendas at organizations such as the UN, World Bank, and G8
, and to raise public and political awareness for global road safety.
, Amerifleet Transportation, Anheuser-Busch
, Chubb Group of Insurance, General Motors Company, Johnson & Johnson
, Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, Nationwide Mutual Insurance, Monsanto
, and UPS
.
, ALDI
Stores, Toyota Australia
, Reliance Petroleum, and TNT Malaysia.
), the WIPE model seeks to identify the societal, business, legal, and financial reasons to focus on occupational road safety. The acronym WIPE stands for Why focus on fleet safety? Initial and continuing status review; Pilot, implement and change manage interventions; Evaluation. The WIPE model assumes that managers will write a business case focusing on the cost savings of protecting workers; perform a safety audit of their organization; launch a pilot program related to personnel training or vehicle improvements; and evaluate the outcomes of the pilot, demonstrating its impact.
Since the original research, the WIPE model, supported by the Haddon Matrix, has been successfully applied by many organisations around the world to help reduce collisions, cut costs and enhance brand value. Case studies, including British Telecom, Wolseley and Royal Mail and a free fleet review and benchmarking tool are provided at the Fleet Safety Benchmarking website (www.fleetsafetybenchmarking.net)
The model is also increasingly being used to support occupational road safety as a conduit or tool for general road safety, by engaging organisations to promote good practice to family members and in the wider communities in which they operate.
Car accident
A traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...
are a leading cause of occupational fatalities throughout the world, especially in developing countries. In addition to the suffering of the workers and their families, businesses and society also bear direct and indirect costs. These include increased insurance premiums, the threat of litigation, loss of an employee, and destruction of property.
Background
Road crashes worldwide kill over a million people every year and cost as much as 3% of global gross domestic product (GDP). Around the world, it is estimated that work-related incidents make up 25% the road toll (50% if commuting is included). Because rapid motorization generally accompanies economic development, a large percentage of occupational automobile crashes occur in low and middle-income countries. Workers in the developing world are becoming increasingly vulnerable to the risk of road traffic crashes.Workers at risk include drivers of commercial trucks and buses; workers who are not professional drivers, but who drive smaller trucks or passenger vehicles provided by their employer; workers who drive personal vehicles for work purposes; pedestrians, particularly roadside workers; and commuters.
Institutional efforts
Efforts to protect workers on the road have been undertaken by international organizations such as the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
, World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, and International Labour Organization
International Labour Organization
The International Labour Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that deals with labour issues pertaining to international labour standards. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. Its secretariat — the people who are employed by it throughout the world — is known as the...
. The WHO coordinates the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration, an effort drawing together government, business, and non-government organizations.
Organizations such as the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) and the Fleet Forum focus on safety in lower- and middle-income nations. They coordinate efforts among local and national governments and businesses. Organizations such as Driving for Better Business advocate change by outlining the business benefits of improved road safety for workers. The Make Roads Safe
Make Roads Safe
Make Roads Safe is a global road safety campaign established with the aim of securing political commitment for road traffic injury prevention around the world....
campaign, funded by the UK's FIA Foundation, seeks to influence policies, budgets, and agendas at organizations such as the UN, World Bank, and G8
G8
The Group of Eight is a forum, created by France in 1975, for the governments of seven major economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1997, the group added Russia, thus becoming the G8...
, and to raise public and political awareness for global road safety.
Safe driving campaigns
Many of these organizations and governments strive to raise awareness for road safety through focused campaigns. The Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS), for example, is sponsoring a Drive Safely Work Week October 5-9, 2009, and offering a campaign tool kit to promote better driving. NETS is a partnership between the U.S. federal government and such corporations as AbbottAbbott Laboratories
Abbott Laboratories is an American-based global, diversified pharmaceuticals and health care products company. It has 90,000 employees and operates in over 130 countries. The company headquarters are in Abbott Park, North Chicago, Illinois. The company was founded by Chicago physician, Dr....
, Amerifleet Transportation, Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , is an American brewing company. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and 18 in other countries. It was, until December 2009, also one of America's largest theme park operators; operating ten theme parks across the United States through the...
, Chubb Group of Insurance, General Motors Company, Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson is an American multinational pharmaceutical, medical devices and consumer packaged goods manufacturer founded in 1886. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company is listed among the Fortune 500....
, Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, Nationwide Mutual Insurance, Monsanto
Monsanto
The Monsanto Company is a US-based multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation. It is the world's leading producer of the herbicide glyphosate, marketed in the "Roundup" brand of herbicides, and in other brands...
, and UPS
United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...
.
Intervention models
Mooren model
Australian researcher Lori Mooren developed a 12-step process model with which organizations can perform gap analyses, establish benchmarks, host fleet safety improvement workshops, and develop fleet safety manuals and improvement programs. A number of businesses and government entities have reviewed their management practices against the model, including Johnson & JohnsonJohnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson is an American multinational pharmaceutical, medical devices and consumer packaged goods manufacturer founded in 1886. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company is listed among the Fortune 500....
, ALDI
ALDI
ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG, doing business as ', short for "Albrecht Discount", is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany...
Stores, Toyota Australia
Toyota Australia
Toyota Motor Corporation Australia, or Toyota Australia, is a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation, which is based in Japan. TMCA markets Toyota products and manages motorsport, advertising and business operations for Toyota Motor Corporation in Australia...
, Reliance Petroleum, and TNT Malaysia.
WIPE model
Developed at the Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety – Queensland (CARRS-QCARRS-Q
The Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety - Queensland is a research centre established in 1996.It is based at the Kelvin Grove campus of Queensland University of Technology in Queensland, Australia and is part of both the Faculty of Health and the Institute of Health and Biomedical...
), the WIPE model seeks to identify the societal, business, legal, and financial reasons to focus on occupational road safety. The acronym WIPE stands for Why focus on fleet safety? Initial and continuing status review; Pilot, implement and change manage interventions; Evaluation. The WIPE model assumes that managers will write a business case focusing on the cost savings of protecting workers; perform a safety audit of their organization; launch a pilot program related to personnel training or vehicle improvements; and evaluate the outcomes of the pilot, demonstrating its impact.
Since the original research, the WIPE model, supported by the Haddon Matrix, has been successfully applied by many organisations around the world to help reduce collisions, cut costs and enhance brand value. Case studies, including British Telecom, Wolseley and Royal Mail and a free fleet review and benchmarking tool are provided at the Fleet Safety Benchmarking website (www.fleetsafetybenchmarking.net)
The model is also increasingly being used to support occupational road safety as a conduit or tool for general road safety, by engaging organisations to promote good practice to family members and in the wider communities in which they operate.
Stuckey-LaMontagne model
Australians Rwth Stuckey and A.D. LaMontagne advanced a similar systems-based approach. It focuses on the impact of occupational light vehicles (OLV) as a leading cause of traumatic deaths. Their model presents the worker as the locus of injury at the center of work- and road-related determinants of risk. The model sets occupational road safety in the wider policy and societal framework.See also
- Make Roads SafeMake Roads SafeMake Roads Safe is a global road safety campaign established with the aim of securing political commitment for road traffic injury prevention around the world....
- Road traffic safety
- Automobile safetyAutomobile safetyAutomobile safety is the study and practice of vehicle design, construction, and equipment to minimize the occurrence and consequences of automobile accidents. Automobile safety is the study and practice of vehicle design, construction, and equipment to minimize the occurrence and consequences of...
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and HealthNational Institute for Occupational Safety and HealthThe National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is the United States’ federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. NIOSH is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within the U.S...
- European Agency for Safety and Health at WorkEuropean Agency for Safety and Health at WorkThe European Agency for Safety and Health at Work was set up in 1996 in Bilbao, Spain. Its mission is "to make Europe's workplaces safer, healthier and more productive...
- Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and SafetyCanadian Centre for Occupational Health and SafetyThe Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety is a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Canada.CCOHS functions as the primary national agency in Canada for the advancement of safe and healthy workplaces and preventing work-related injuries, illnesses and deaths...
- Australian Transport Safety BureauAustralian Transport Safety BureauThe Australian Transport Safety Bureau is Australia’s national transport safety investigator. The ATSB is the federal government body responsible for investigating transport-related accidents and incidents within Australia. It covers air, sea and rail travel. The Australian Transport Safety...
- Road Administration (Sweden)
- International Labour OrganizationInternational Labour OrganizationThe International Labour Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that deals with labour issues pertaining to international labour standards. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. Its secretariat — the people who are employed by it throughout the world — is known as the...
- World Health OrganizationWorld Health OrganizationThe World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
- World BankWorld BankThe World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...