Managing Occupational Road Risk in the UK Bringing

Managing Occupational Road Risk in the UK Bringing risk on the road into mainstream health and safety Presented by: Roger Bibbings Occupational Safety Adviser THE ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS

Ro. SPA’s mission and vision “Ro. SPA’s mission is to save lives and reduce injuries” “To lead the way on accident prevention” Exercising leadership on key policy issues Managing Occupational Road Risk (MORR) (since 1997) • OBJECTIVE: To ensure that the risks which people face (and which they create for others) while on the road as part of their job are managed by employers within the framework which they should already have in place for managing other aspects of health and safety at work

Cutting road carnage?

Road casualties G. B. KILLED 1981/85 average 1994/98 average 2007 Percentage reduction SERIOUSLY INJURED 5, 598 3, 578 2, 943 47 74, 534 44, 078 30, 720 58 Notes: Approx 40 per cent increase in traffic volume

International comparisons (selected countries 2006) Country Road deaths per 100, 000 population Netherlands 4. 5 Sweden 4. 9 United Kingdom 5. 4 Australia 7. 8 Belgium 10. 2 Hungary 13. 0 Poland 13. 8 USA 14. 3 Lithuania 22. 3

MORR: UK’s biggest occupational safety issue n Increasing road mobility in a service based economy n 500 -800 worker deaths p. a. c. f. 241 RIDDOR fatalities n 25 mpy riskier than deep sea fishing! n H&S and RT law both apply! n Action to be focused on management not just drivers n Contributing to 2010 Df. T targets n Balancing promotion/enforcement n Reaching SMEs?

Who is at risk? NOT JUST n Commercial vehicle drivers n Bus and coach drivers n Taxi drivers n Motorcycle couriers n Dot com delivery drivers n Pizza delivery riders BUT n Sales staff/service engineers n Social workers n n n Emergency services Local authority staff Voluntary workers Police Government officials Teachers Vehicle recovery staff Health workers Postal workers Fund raisers At-work pedestrians Anyone on the road as part of their job!!!!

Causes of road crashes? IMMEDIATE: n inappropriate speed n inattention n falling asleep n travelling too close n drink/drugs n adverse weather n vehicle defects n highway conditions UNDERLYING: n pressure/attitudes n distractions n inadequate sleep n congestion n stress n poor journey planning n poor maintenance n poor routeing

Employer impact on crash risk Exacerbate n Too far n Too fast (incentives to speed etc) n Unsafe routes/conditions n Unsafe vehicles n Stressed, tired, untrained drivers n Poor work/life balance n Mobiles n Poor H&S culture Ameliorate n Reducing exposure n Clear policy on speed n Journey planning n Safer vehicles n Driver assessment and training n Action to combat fatigue n ‘No mobile while mobile’ n Clear MORR policies n Leadership by example

Risk perception?

Problem equivalent to. . .

Three reasons for action 1. Ethics: (Corporate Social Responsibility) 2. Legal compliance (H&SW Act, RT law, CM, civil claims etc) 3. The ‘business case’ (cost reduction, efficiencies, reputational risk, culture building)

Some campaign milestones Ø 1996/7: Ro. SPA seminars (Esso/EEF) Ø 1998: Stoke Court ‘Declaration’/ Ro. SPA Guidance Ø 1999: input to Df. T’s ‘Tomorrow’s Roads’ Ø 2000/2001: WRRSTG (Dykes report) Ø 2002: Occupational Road Safety Alliance Ø 2003: HSE/Df. T guidance INDG 382/Ro. SPA guidance 2 nd edition Ø 2004: W&P Select Committee report on HSC/E Ø 2005 Df. T Motorist’s Forum report Ø 2007 Df. T DFBB Champions programme Ø 2008 Corporate Manslaughter, H&S Offences Bill?

HSE/Df. T guidance ‘Driving at Work’ - Sept ‘ 03 (Accessible at http: //www. hse. gov. uk/pubns/indg 382. pdf) • Confirms that H&S law does apply on the road • Suggests approaches to risk assessment • Suggests control measures/performance review • Signposts further information • Highlights the ‘business case’ for action

BUT says HSE … “…. HSC’s enforcement policy statement recognises the need to prioritise investigation and enforcement action. Current priorities, as set out in HSC’s strategic plan, do not include workrelated road safety …. ”

Threats to the business n Hidden accident costs n Lost business opportunities n Lost staff time n Higher fleet premia n Loss of morale n Threat to corporate reputation n Notices and/or prosecutions n Common law claims n Prosecution(corporate manslaughter? )

So what are businesses doing? n MOST VERY LITTLE !!!! but some…. n driver handbooks n licence checking n driver feed back schemes (e. g. Well driven? ’) n negative penalties n crash data analysis n driver assessment and n DRIVER TRAINING…

Yes, OK BUT…. managing occupational road risk is not driver training….

Managing occupational road risk means… developing a risk management approach, i. e. putting in place the policies, people, procedures to ‘work the problem’ !!

Embedding MORR in the HSG 65 framework A 1. define RS policy objectives U 2. organise and train for MORR D 3. plan and implement controls I 4. measure performance T 5. review and feedback

Using risk assessment… To help managers and/or drivers understand: - n 1. ‘How, when, who, how bad etc? ’ n 2. Whether existing controls adequate or more needed? n 3. Which risks to tackle first?

Some key risk factors n Journey task (speed? fatigue? routeing? distance? timing? distractions, weather? night/day? ) n Vehicle (fit for purpose? properly maintained? additional safety features? ) n Driver (age/experience? crashes/points? attitudes? competence? fitness? eyesight? stress? sleep quality? )

Suitable assessment? Three levels: 1. Generic 2. Specific 3. Dynamic Review risk enhancing features of: n journey tasks n vehicles n drivers

Preferred approaches to risk control n meeting without moving n change/mix mode n reduce journeys/mileage 2. reduce n reduce hours/distances n optimise schedules 3. isolate n plan ‘safer’ routes n avoid adverse conditions n specify ‘safer’ vehicles n ensure maintenance n assess driver fitness n reduce distractions n alcohol/drugs policies n assess driver competence n prioritised driver training 1. eliminate 4. control 5. adapt

Supported by… n Training for line-managers n Information, guidance and supervision for drivers n Performance targets/timescales (individual, department, corporate) n Monitoring (from licence/vehicle checks to ‘black boxes’ to ‘well driven? ’) n Reporting/investigating crashes/near-hits n Emergency procedures/personal safety n Awards/incentives? etc. n GOOD COMMUNICATIONS

In-house policies needed for… n Speed (all staff to comply with limits) n Fatigue (preparation for driving, mileage limits, rest periods, caff/napping etc) n Night/adverse weather driving (avoidance) n Vehicle selection/maintenance (fit for person/purpose etc) n Own vehicle use (minimum conditions) n Driver fitness (stress, ill health, eye sight) n Drugs/alcohol (including non-prescription medicines) n Mobile phones etc (‘no mobile when mobile!’) n Driver competence (higher grades for higher risk drivers? )

Director leadership

Workforce involvement

Data, data… Fleet profile: Accidents/incidents: n Vehicles (by type) n Reference n Drivers (status, age, gender, n Claim? (claim no) experience, enforcement, n Incident date/time training etc) n Vehicle type/reg no n Journeys/miles n Driver (name/gender/age) n Accidents/incidents n Location n Severities n Collision type n Causes n Blameworthy? n Costs (insured/uninsured) n Costs

Three key steps 1) Where are we now? • Vehicles, drivers, miles, crashes, causes, costs? • Management system (policy, organisation, planning, monitoring, review)? 2) Set up a joint team (H&S, HR, Fleet, Safety Reps etc) • develop ‘management system’, • Seek external partners 3) Develop an ‘action plan’ to: • assess risks, prioritise interventions • set standards, targets, timescales etc • implement • monitor, review and feed back lessons learned

MORR UK: where next? n Specific regs/ACo. P? RIDDOR reportable? n HSE inspector role? n HSW Act powers for police? n Exemplary enforcement? n Better guidance/tools/services (for small firms)? n Coverage in management training/auditing? n Stronger links to environment? n Business-to-business learning/benchmarking? n Research? n A new management standard?

Who can help? • • • • Employer/trade associations Trades unions Local authorities Police Safety campaigners Motoring organisations Insurers Professional bodies Vehicle leasing companies Trade Journals TV/radio/newspapers Driver training providers GOVERNMENT!

Some useful UK websites • www. rospa. com • www. orsa. org. uk • www. morr. org. uk • www. hse. gov. uk/roadsafety • www. airso. org. uk • www. roadsafe. com • www. pacts. org. uk • www. brake. org. uk • www. larsoa. org • www. rospa. com/drivertraining www. fleetsafetybenchmarking. net

Challenge everyone to …

Thank you Roger Bibbings Occupational Safety Adviser Royal Society for the Prevention of accidents Ro. SPA House, Edgbaston Park 353, Bristol Road Birmingham B 5 7 ST UNITED KINGDOM Email rbibbings@rospa. com 00 44 (0) 121 248 2095