SAFETY MESSAGE: Follow OSHA Guidelines to Reduce Crashes

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle crashes cost employers $60 billion each year in medical care, legal expenses, property damage and lost productivity. An average crash costs $16,500, while crashes that result in injury cost $74,000 and fatal crashes cost employers more than $500,000 each. These employer expenses drive up the cost of benefits, including workers’ compensation, Social Security, and private health and disability insurance.

Nearly all of these crashes are preventable and you have the opportunity to help reduce the number your drivers experience. Together with NHTSA and the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has compiled a set of guidelines to help employers implement effective driver safety programs.

OSHA’s Guidelines for Employers to Reduce Motor Vehicle Crashes outlines 10 steps that will help build a driver safety program, provides real-life examples of successful safety programs, lists key traffic safety issues to address with all workers and offers a worksheet to calculate annual losses from motor vehicle crashes.

The guidelines also encourage employers to promote safe driving practices. The frequency and causes of accidents resulting from driving distracted, fatigued, aggressively, or impaired by alcohol or drugs are discussed. Tips to prevent these types of crashes are provided.

For more information or assistance with driver safety programs, contact NETS, NHTSA, OSHA or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). As always, the Baldwin & Lyons Loss Prevention Department is also available to assist you in the development of your safety program.

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