Improving Work-Related Road Safety in New Zealand

The WIPE model

Research suggests that work-related road safety is likely to be improved by 'the introduction of an integrated set of risk assessment-led measures based on the safety culture within the organisation'. For this reason the workshops focused on applying the WIPE and PROACTIVE models.

Figure 5 shows the four-stage WIPE process model designed to achieve this. Each element of it is discussed in the remainder of this paper.

Figure 5 - The WIPE work-related road safety process model

Risk Assessments

'Journey risk' assessments allow questions such as 'do we really need to travel, what is the safest practical mode and should we break the journey?' 'Vehicle risk' assessments include pre-purchase vehicle selection, pre- and post-use checks, and high quality maintenance. 'People risk' can be assessed at all levels in relation to safety. 'Site risk' assessments and 'black spot' analysis are particularly useful for organisations with regular trips on the same routes or to the same specific locations. Start, stop and end-points are particularly important locations to risk assess. The status review also allows a series of on-going targets, standards or key performance indicators (KPIs) to be developed and identifies areas for change.

Evaluation

To date, the program evaluation element of Figure 5 has tended to be overlooked by many organisations. Monitoring of key performance indicators (KPIs) should be a key component of a work-related road safety program. Best-in-class organisations typically include an appropriate mix of lead and lag, or proactive and reactive, indicators - covering crash data, costs, qualitative achievements (such as awards or PR outcomes) and programs implemented.

Two case studies

The workshops also contained material from:

A British Telecom in the UK

www.vfrm.net

B Exxon Mobil, which has successfully implemented the following 12 point Global Standard in New Zealand:

Management Leadership, Commitment and Accountability
Risk Assessment and Management
Truck Design and Construction
Process Information and Documentation
Personnel and Training
Operations and Maintenance
Management of Change
Third Party Services
Incident Investigation and Analysis
Community Awareness and Emergency Preparedness
Operations Integrity Assessment and Improvement
Personnel Safety Management.

Piloting and implementing change, ideas for business and policy

As well as being a self-audit tool, the Haddon Matrix in Figure 6 is a useful framework for classifying work-related road safety improvement countermeasures to be piloted, implemented and change-managed. Pilot studies at one site, or with one team of drivers, help to evaluate the effectiveness of a program, make appropriate cost trade-offs and develop the process for consultation, implementation and change management of any wider program.

Probably the decision not to travel or to change travel mode would be the safest option listed. Where this is not practical, good journey planning can manage fatigue and specify and monitor the safest routes. Selection, recruitment, induction, assessment and relevant training can all improve driver safety. For vehicles, selection, maintenance and checking are key issues. Risk assessing the road environment is particularly important for developing driver guidelines, improving site layouts, and road design.

Managing the scene is an important part of work-related road safety. Providing organisational support to the driver, making sure drivers use the correct processes and tools (including a camera, first aid kit, bump card and crash report form). Crashworthy vehicles help to reduce employee injury. Using Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) to capture data can support an objective investigation process. Managing the scene also minimises the risk of further incidents and ensures that all the available evidence is recorded.

Post-crash reporting, recording and investigation should identify to fleet managers the key areas for improvement. Journeys should be reviewed alongside driver debriefs, counselling, support and retraining, if necessary. Vehicles should be inspected in detail before repair and ITS data should be used as part of the investigation process. The road or site environment should be reviewed and risk-assessed to identify improvements.

Typically, operational managers have to make a trade-off between focussing time and resources on investigation or their day-to-day operations. Safety and Health practitioners have a duty of care to take a major role in championing, implementing, leading and evaluating this process.

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