Why this week’s safety topic is important: Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of workplace fatalities. According to the Department of Labor, 882 workers died of injuries sustained in on the job vehicle accidents in 2009. For many workers outside the highest risk professions, driving is the most hazardous work activity they regularly conduct.
How to identify this danger: Any operation of a motor vehicle, on-road or off, urban or rural, just around the corner or across the continent carries the potential for an accident. Short trips in the local area are often subject to complacency, time pressure, and distractions. ANY vehicle movement, as a driver or passenger, requires the same minimum safety precautions.
How to proactively address the hazard: While vehicle safety has improved dramatically over the years, seat belt use is still the single most effective way to limit or prevent injuries in a vehicle accident. Nationally, seat belt use is up to 88%. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notes that seat belt use may reduce the risk of injures in a crash by 50%. In addition to keeping you firmly in place within a vehicle during an accident, a seat belt restrains you in position in front of the steering wheel so that you can still control your vehicle in the event of sliding, a skid, or sudden braking. If you are the driver, set the example and buckle up immediately and do not proceed on the trip until all passengers have done so too.
For more information:
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/motorvehiclesafety/index.html - OSHA Safety and Health Topics – Motor Vehicle Safety
http://www.nsc.org/SAFETY_ROAD/DRIVERSAFETY/Pages/SeatBelts.aspx - National Safety Council - Seat Belts
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