XL Environmental - Library - Fleet Safety: ‘It's not just for commercial vehicles’

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Lessons Learned: Fleet Safety: ‘It's not just for commercial vehicles’ As the number one cause of workplace death and injury in the United States, motor vehicle crashes are the biggest health and safety problem facing today's businesses. Each year, traffic crashes among all vehicle types cause immeasurable human suffering. They also result in enormous financial losses to American businesses. Motor vehicle crashes cost three American workers their lives every day and employers more than $50 billion a year in legal expenses, property damage and lost productivity. Most motor vehicle crashes are avoidable if drivers keep their mind on the road and avoid behaviors that greatly increase their risk of becoming a traffic statistic. Recognizing that traffic accidents result in more workplace injuries and deaths than any other cause, NIOSH urges employers to voluntarily establish traffic safety policies in the workplace, implement safety belt programs, conduct driver's license background checks on prospective employees and train drivers on safe driving practices and techniques. Due to the increased attention on employee safety, coupled with the fact that accident costs are far greater than previously believed, companies are increasingly promoting fleet safety. No matter what kind of highway safety program you have in mind for your workplace, your program can bring significant cost savings if you comply with the following nine steps. Obtain Management's Commitment To develop an effective highway safety program, you need the support of management. To obtain that support, you need to show that a highway safety program in the workplace is affordable and easy to implement and that it will alter employee behavior and have a positive impact on company profits. When approaching management you should: Refer to current facts and statistics Refer to case studies Explain how staff resources could be used effectively to organize a program Explain how the program will be evaluated and progress reported to management If management is still not convinced of the need for the program, suggest they conduct a simple need assessment, collecting information on current costs associated with highway injuries and baseline data on employee attitudes and behaviors related to highway safety. Then, if there is a demonstrable need for change, they will be more likely to support a program. Identify Your Costs Identifying exactly how much your company pays for motor vehicle crashes will help you demonstrate the need for a comprehensive fleet safety program. Cost analysis will also enable you to focus the resources where they will be most helpful. Work with your human resource manager, safety manager, workers’ compensation representative, accountants, and medical and motor vehicle insurance representatives to obtain the numbers you'll need. Develop An Action Plan Key elements should include: Written objectives in terms of concrete, measurable behaviors Specific personnel assignment Program evaluation Implement Highway Safety Policies Create a clear and comprehensive set of traffic safety policies and communicate them to all employees. Post them throughout the workplace, distribute copies periodically, discuss the policies at company meetings and point out the consequences of disregarding them. Know and apply any federal or state regulations. Provide Safe Vehicles One of the most visible aspects of a fleet safety program centers on the safety of vehicles provided to employees. To evaluate a company's commitment to safe vehicles, the primary areas to monitor include: Safety Equipment Inspection Activities Maintenance Operations Poor maintenance is the cause of many vehicle accidents. Regular vehicle inspections ensure the driver is properly caring for and maintaining the vehicle in safe operating condition. Provide Driver Safety Training Driver safety training should be designed to increase driver safety awareness and improve driver attitudes. The training should reinforce safe vehicle operation and defensive driving techniques, instruct drivers about the effects of drugs and alcohol on driving ability, promote the use of vehicle safety features, and demonstrate the importance of vehicle maintenance on safety. Training can be required before an employee is assigned a corporate vehicle. Refresher training should also be required for all drivers on a periodic basis. The training program should be interesting and stimulating enough to hold the driver's attention. For the experienced driver, safety training requires an approach that is instructional as well as creative. Evaluate Driver Performance It is important to evaluate driver performance to ensure that fleet safety program objectives are being met. A tracking system can help to identify trends or to pinpoint drivers who require additional attention, before they jeopardize their safe driver status. Primary areas to evaluate include: Motor vehicle records (MVR) A driver's accident and driving history Periodic observation of the driver Implement A Driver Safety Awareness Campaign An important part of any comprehensive fleet safety program is the promotion of driver safety awareness. Constant reminders and educational efforts motivate drivers and reinforce the corporate fleet safety program. Although there are many creative and effective ways of encouraging ongoing awareness, the following are among the most common: Information in newsletters dedicated to safety Supervisors/managers setting safe examples Safe driver award programs Meetings and day-to-day reminders Evaluate Your Program At regular intervals, evaluate the progress your employees have made toward reaching your program objective. Consider each objective carefully when deciding what evaluation method to use. Your ongoing evaluation should describe a measurable or observable behavior. If you learn that your employees' highway safety habits are improving, great! Get the information out to management and the work force to justify the program and reinforce learning. But if the evaluation shows you are not yet achieving success, don't be discouraged. You've just obtained valuable information that can help you refocus your efforts in more productive ways. It is often advantageous to have a third party evaluate a company's program. An outside resource will bring focused expertise, a varied point of view and objectivity. You can use the third party's report to identify any deficiencies, as a point to validate ongoing programs, and to obtain ideas for new programs. XL Environmental’s Risk Control Division is available to work with you to develop an initial program or to evaluate existing programs as well as provide employee training. XL Environmental • Risk Control Division • 520 Eagleview Boulevard, PO Box 636, Exton, PA 19341 • Phone: 800-327-1414 • Fax: 610-458-7285 • xlenvironmental.com XL Environmental is a division of XL Specialty Insurance Company.


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