MAINSTREAMING MORR:Bringing risk on the road into mainstream H&S

Presented by: Roger Bibbings

Occupational Safety Adviser

THE ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS

RoSPA’s mission

“RoSPA’s mission is to enhance the quality of life

by exercising a powerful influence for accident

prevention”

‘Key issues’ to date:

managing occupational road risk (MORR)

accident investigation (Acc Inv)

director action on safety and health (DASH)

Road casualties G.B.

KILLED SERIOUSLY

INJURED

1981/85 average 5,598 74,534

1994/98 average 3,578 44,078

2003 3,508 33,707

Percentage reduction 37 55

(approx 40 per cent increase in traffic volume)

Occupational road accidents: key points

800 – 1000 deaths per annum (‘at work’

drivers/passengers/ pedestrians, other road users)

compared with 450 RIDDOR

UK’s biggest occupational safety issue

Excluded from mainstream H&S

management/enforcement

Action needed on company cars and vans

Prevention focused on management not just drivers!

MORR can contribute to national RS targets (40%

reduction KSI by 2010)

Who is at risk?

Commercial vehicle drivers

Sales staff Service engineers Delivery workers Social workers Emergency services Local authority staff Bus and coach drivers &

passengers Voluntary workers

Motorcycle couriers Pizza delivery riders Police Paramedics Government officials Teachers Vehicle recovery staff Health workers At-work pedestrians Anyone on the road as part

of their job!!!!

MORR initiatives

1996/7: RoSPA seminars (Esso/EEF)

1998: RoSPA Guidance/ Stoke Court ‘Declaration’

1999: input to ‘Tomorrow’s Roads’

2000/2001: WRRSTG (Dykes report)

(www.hse.gov.uk/road/content/traffic1.pdf)

2002: ORSA

2003: New HSE/DfT guidance/RoSPA guidance 2nd edition

2004: New ORSA website/work programme

Causes of road crashes?

IMMEDIATE: inappropriate

speed inattention falling asleep travelling too close drink/drugs adverse weather vehicle defects highway conditions

UNDERLYING: pressure/attitudes distractions/fatigue inadequate sleep congestion stress poor journey planning poor maintenance poor routeing

Employer impact on crash risk

Exacerbate Too far Too fast (incentives to

speed etc) Unsafe routes Unsafe conditions Unsafe vehicles Stressed, tired,

untrained drivers Mobiles Poor H&S culture

Ameliorate Reducing exposure Clear policy on speed Journey planning Safer vehicles Driver assessment and

training Action to combat fatigue ‘No mobile while mobile’ Clear MORR policies Leadership by example

The case for action

Ethics, CSR etc

Legal compliance

The ‘business case’

Company values..

‘Nothing we do is so important that it

justifies injuring our employees or

members of the public’

Major Utility CEO

The legal context

Two sets of law.....

HSW Act (‘safe system of work’, MHSW Regs (risk

assessment, management system)

(enforced by HSE/LAs but not on road)

plus

Road Traffic Acts, Highway Code, C&U Regs etc

(enforced by police, concerned mainly with driver

behaviour)

New HSE/DfT guidance‘Driving at Work’ - Sept ‘03

(Accessible at

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg382.pdf)

• Explains how H&S law applies on the road

• Suggests approaches to risk assessment

• Suggests control measures/performance review

• Signposts further information

• Highlights the ‘business case’

From HSE caveat …

“…. 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 work-related road

safety ….”

Threats to the business

Accident costs

Lost business

Lost staff time

Higher fleet premia

Loss of morale

Threat to corporate reputation

Notices and/or prosecutions

Common law claims

Corporate manslaughter?

What are businesses doing?

MOST NOTHING AT ALL !!!!but some….

driver handbooks

‘how’s my driving?’

licence checks

negative penalties/positive incentives

crash data analysis

driver assessment

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’ !!

Using the HSG65 framework

A 1. define policy objectives

U 2. organise and train

D 3. plan and implement

I 4. measure performance

T 5. review and feedback

Using risk assessment…

To help managers and/or drivers

understand:-

1. ‘How, when, who, how bad etc?’

2. Whether existing controls adequate or

more needed?

3. Which risks to tackle first?

Generic risk assessment

Review risk enhancing features of:

journey tasks

vehicles

drivers

Some key risk factors

Journey task (speed? fatigue? routeing? weather,

night/day?)

Vehicle (fit for purpose? properly maintained? Additional

features?)

Driver ( age, experience? fitness/eyesight/stress?

crashes/points? attitudes/competence?)

Preferred approaches to risk control

1. eliminate

2. reduce

3. isolate

4. control

5. adapt

meeting without moving

change/mix mode

reduce journeys/mileage

reduce hours/distances

optimise schedules

plan ‘safer’ routes

avoid adverse conditions

specify ‘safer’ vehicles

ensure maintenance

assess driver fitness

reduce distractions

alcohol/drugs policies

assess driver competence

prioritised driver training

Supported by…

Training for line-managers

Information, guidance and supervision

Performance targets/timescales

Emergency procedures/personal safety

Monitoring (from licence/vehicle checks to ‘black boxes’

to ‘how’s my driving?’)

Crash/near-hit reporting/investigation

Awards/incentives etc.

In-house policies needed for…

Speed (all staff to comply with limits)

Combating fatigue (preparation for driving, mileage limits,

caff/napping etc)

Night/adverse weather driving (avoidance)

Vehicle specs/maintenance (fit for person/purpose etc)

Driver fitness (stress, ill health, eye sight..)

Drugs/alcohol (including non- prescription medicines)

Mobile phones etc etc (‘no mobile when mobile!’)

Driver competence (higher grades for higher risk drivers?)

Data, data, data…

Fleet profile

Vehicles (by type)

Drivers (status, age, gender,

experience, enforcement,

training etc)

Journeys/miles

Accidents/incidents

Severities

Causes

Costs (insured/uninsured)

Accidents/incidents

Reference

Claim? (claim no)

Incident date/time

Vehicle type/reg no

Driver (name/gender/age)

Location

Collision type

Blameworthy?

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, SRs etc)

3) Develop an ‘action plan’ to:

• develop ‘management system’,

• assess risks, prioritise interventions

• set standards, targets, timescales etc

• implement

• monitor, review and feed back lessons learned

Team working and partnership

Professionals

Drivers and safety reps

Insurers/brokers (e.g. crash data feedback)

Vehicle providers etc

Local road safety organisations

Sector peers

MORR service providers…

RoSPA and MORR: where next?:

• Lobbying HSC/DfT to establish Dykes MkII ORSA, membership, research group etc

• European liaison/international comparisons• Focusing on ‘best practice’ via ORSA• Lobbying to make MORR a higher priority• ‘Meeting without moving’ • More MORR seminars/public speaking etc• Progress review?

Government must …

• Accept WRRS is a major issue• Increase HSE resources for WRRS• Facilitate performance benchmarking• Link WRRS and site transport safety agendas• Enforce where necessary• Respond to worker/public complaints• Ensure liaison in crash investigations• Take high profile prosecutions• Lead the WRRS research agenda• Take a lead as exemplar employer

Some useful websites

• www.rospa.com (go ‘occupational safety’)

• 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

Challenge everyone to …