RISK MANAGEMENT IN LAND TRANSPORTATION SECTOR

Short description of the section

This chapter presents risk elimination or mitigation priorities and explains the benefit of emergencies prevention and risk management in land transportation companies. It also presents examples of good practice in land transportation sector and gives analysis of accidents and occupational illnesses.

The purpose of this section is to:

• Present risk elimination or mitigation priorities;
  
• Introduce prevention of emergencies;
  
• Show the benefit of risk management in land transportation companies;
  
• Give examples of good practice in land transportation sector; and
  
• Analyze cases of accidents and occupational illnesses.
  

Understanding the benefit of risk management and the analysis of good practice examples will help to apply this material during the implementation of risk management process in a land transportation company.

Preventive measures

Careful selection of preventive measures is of major importance in risk management process. The importance of the vehicle driver’s behaviour, safety of the vehicle and cargo and environment protection shall be assessed for proper selection of safety measures and elimination or mitigation of inherent risk in the driver’s workplace analysis of accidents and occupational illnesses.

Preventive measures shall be implemented following the sequence of priorities and recommendations for safety measures dealing with certain risk factors presented in the previous sections of this study material:

• Identified hazards and the risk imposed by them shall be eliminated;
  
• Identified hazards and the risk imposed by them shall be controlled by organizational and technical measures;
  
• In cases where residual hazards and the risk imposed by them cannot be eliminated by collective protective equipment, the employer shall supply the employee with personal protective equipment and ensure they are properly maintained and used. Refer to the model procedure of distributing and collecting personal protective equipment.
  

Hazard prevention and control procedures and measures in a land transportation company should be:

• Adjusted according to identified hazards and the risk imposed by them;
  
• Regularly reviewed and improved, if necessary;
  
• Prepared pursuant to the requirements of health and safety legislation and good practice;
  
• Prepared in accordance with the collected data.
  
  

Prevention of emergencies

An important area in risk management process is prevention, alert and response to emergencies likely to occur in land transportation companies:

• A land transportation company should develop and implement emergency prevention, alert and response measures and procedures to identify the probability of emergencies, response actions and their scope and preventive measures to eliminate the risk. These measures and procedures shall ensure:
  
  • The supply of the necessary information inside the company and to external emergency services and coordination of actions during emergency situation to protect all people present in that place. Refer to the model fire emergency plan
    
  • Prompt first aid, fire-fighting and evacuation actions. Refer to the model instruction on providing first-aid
    
  • Appropriate training and information delivery to all employees of the company at all levels including regular drills on emergency prevention, alert and response procedures.
    
• Employees of the company shall be aware of emergency prevention, response and evacuation plans.
  
  

Benefit of risk management

Risk management in companies of land transportation sector have obvious benefit. Firstly, it helps to control costs, insurance fees, claims of employees and third parties. It also helps to make reasonable decisions on such matters as drivers’ training and vehicle procurement and gives the ideas how to improve health and safety situation in the company. According to Zurich Risk Services, the potential benefits from risk management are:

• Less time is lost due to accidents at work;
  
• Reduced risk of occupational illnesses;
  
• Reduced stress and raised morale;
  
• Reduced need of investigation and paperwork;
  
• Less time is lost due to suspension of operations;
  
• Less vehicle end up in garages in the most inopportune time;
  
• Reduced vehicle operation costs because the drivers are trained how to operate modern vehicles;
  
• Less orders are lost, the company keeps to its credit and has better business opportunities ;
  
• Fewer chances that key drivers will be deprived of their driving licence.
  
  

Analysis of accidents and occupational illnesses

We present the analysis of incidents and occupational illness cases in land transportation sector. We hope these actual examples will help you to become aware of potential hazards leading to an incident as well as causes of occupational illnesses and encourage you to take preventive measures prior to an incident or irreparable harm to employee health.

• Analysis of accidents and occupational illnesses