Keep Employees in Motor Vehicles Safe
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Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program Reports
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program and State FACE Programs study fatal workplace injuries and prepare reports with recommendations to prevent similar injuries. The following are links to all of the items in this collection:
Documents
- Kentucky FACE Report: Commercial Roofer Falls 30 Feet Through a Skylight While Installing Roof Insulation
- Fatal Occupational Injuries in Massachusetts 2008-2013
- Fatality Assessment & Control Evaluation (FACE) Program
- Washington FACE Report: Glazier Foreman Falls From Stepladder
- Preventing Construction Falls Toolkit
- Hazard Alert: Pedestrian Workers Killed by Forklifts
- Keep Employees in Motor Vehicles Safe
- New York FACE Brochure
- Washington FACE Report: Construction Laborer Falls When Ladder Breaks
- Washington FACE Report: Pipelayer Dies when Trench Wall Collapses
- Washington FACE Report: Carpenter Falls 60 Feet from Bridge Concrete Form
- Washington FACE Report: Foreman and Laborer Fall when Aerial Lift Struck by Vehicle
- Washington FACE Report: Framer Falls 18 Feet while Sheathing Roof
- New York FACE Report: Mechanic Electrocuted when a Mobile Light Tower Contacted Powerline
- New York FACE Report: Two Construction Workers Fatally Crushed when Cement Formwork Collapsed
- Kentucky FACE Report: Construction Laborer Killed in Trench Collapse while Taking Grade Measurements
- California FACE Report: A Heating, Ventilaton and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Contractor Dies when He Falls through a Skylight
- Massachusetts FACE Report: Carpenter Fatally Injured after Falling from an Extension Ladder
- Massachusetts FACE Report: Laborer Fatally Injured after Falling from a Home under Construction
- Oregon FACE Report: Worker Falls When Ladder Slips
- Michigan FACE Information Sheet: Look for Mobile Equipment Blind Spots
- Oregon FACE Report: Collapsed roof trusses kill carpenter foreman
- Washington FACE Report: Roofer Falls 19 Feet from Roof
- Hazard Alert: Plan. Provide. Train. Prevent Fall Injuries & Deaths
- Kentucky FACE Report: 19-Year-Old Construction Laborer Crushed in Trench Collapse While Laying Sewage Pipe
- Kentucky FACE Report: Construction Flagger Struck and Killed in Two-Lane Highway Work Zone
- Kentucky FACE Report:Temporary Electrician Helper Steps into Unguarded Elevator Shaft and Dies
- Fatality Narrative: Roofing Contractor Falls 25 Feet From Church Roof
- Kentucky FACE Report: Construction Siding Subcontractor Installer Killed when Oversized Scaffolding Platform Destabilized and Telescopic Forklift Overturned
- NIOSH FACE Report - Maintenance Worker Struck by Forklift Carriage—Tennessee
- Kentucky Hazard Alert: Roofing and Construction Workers Killed Due to High Winds
- Poster: Secure it to move it!
- Oregon FACE Report: Crane Operator Killed By Falling Steel Beam
- New Jersey FACE Report: Mechanic Dies After Being Crushed Under Electrical Cabinet
- New Jersey FACE Report: Plant Manager Crushed to Death Under Fallen Pile of Steel Beams
- NIOSH FACE Report: Hispanic worker falls from residential roof
- Oregon FACE Report: Construction worker died after falling 20-25 feet from a pump-jack scaffold
- FACE Fact Sheet: Prevent Construction Falls from Roofs, Ladders, and Scaffolds
- Construction Fatality Narrative: Roofer Falls 18 Feet from Wet House Roof
- Construction Worker Killed when Trench Collapsed, Oregon
- A Tree Trimmer is Electrocuted While Trimming a Palm Tree
- A Tree Feller Dies When Struck By a Tree Limb While Felling a Fire-Damaged Tree
- Concrete Finisher Electrocuted When Bull Float Contacted an Energized Power Line
- Warehouse Worker Crushed by Forks of Laser Guided Vehicle
Summary Statement
Safety alert issued on motor vehicle safety, to prevent distracted driving and promote seat belt use. This alert is part of the Massachusetts Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) program.
What happened in Massachusetts?
Lots of people drive as a part of their job – some more than others. Motor vehicle crashes continue to be a leading cause of work-related death in Massachusetts and across the country. In the past four years (2013- 2016), 36 workers have died in motor vehicle crashes while driving for work in Massachusetts. It’s not just truck drivers who are dying in these crashes. Only 11 of these 36 victims were truck drivers. Many different jobs require employees to drive or be a passenger in a vehicle while at work. Some examples are: home health aides, landscapers, sales representatives, and police officers.
Food delivery crash
In 2016, a 22-year-old employee of a sandwich shop died while driving his own car to make a food delivery. He crashed into the rear of a truck that was making a left turn. Witnesses reported the driver was speeding before the crash. After the crash, police recovered the driver’s cell phone from the car and a game was running on the screen. It was unknown if the victim was wearing a seatbelt.
Construction van crash
In 2016, two employees of a construction company, a 20- and a 52-year-old, died while riding in a company van. The van was in the left lane of a highway when a tire lost air and the van overturned. The van had only two front seats, but there were six employees in the vehicle. The employees in the back of the van were sitting on the floor or on supplies. Only the driver was wearing a seat belt. The worker in the front passenger seat, who was not wearing a seatbelt, and one of the workers in the back were ejected from the van when it crashed.
How can employers keep workers safe while driving or riding in motor vehicles?
Prevent distracted driving by:
- Banning texting and hand-held phone use while driving for work (both work and personal phones).
- Requiring employees to pull over in a safe location if they must text, look up directions, or make/answer a call. This includes texts or calls from management.
- Preparing employees before implementing these policies by communicating:
- How distracted driving puts them at risk of a crash;
- That driving requires their full attention while they are on the road; and
- What action the company will take if they do not follow the policies.
- Ensuring that employees program navigation devices (e.g., GPS, phones) before they start driving, and that these cannot be operated manually when the vehicle is in motion. Also, make sure a vehicle mount is used to secure the device and eliminate the need to hold it while driving.
Require the use of seat belts at all times by all vehicle occupants.
- Ensure that there are enough seats for each passenger and that each seat has a functioning seat belt.
- Require more than one trip or an additional vehicle if there are more passengers than seats.
Develop a Motor Vehicle Safety Program that includes policies on:
- Training employees on the importance of being attentive while driving.
- Routinely reminding employees that while behind the wheel, driving is their primary job.
- Schedules that allow employees to obey speed limits, follow applicable hour-of-service regulations, and prevent drowsy driving.
- Zero tolerance for speeding and aggressive driving practices.
- Procedures for reporting and investigating crashes and vehicle breakdowns.
- Routine maintenance procedures for employer provided vehicles.
IN ADDITION, AS A REMINDER:
In Massachusetts and many other states, anyone under 18 years old cannot drive as part of their work duties.
Resources
Preventing work-related motor vehicle crashes, NIOSH
www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2015-111/pdfs/2015-111.pdf
Distracted Driving At Work web page, NIOSH
www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/distractedDriving/
Guidelines for Employers to Reduce Motor Vehicle Crashes, OSHA, NHTSA, NETS
www.osha.gov/Publications/motor_vehicle_guide.pdf
Motor Vehicles, Safe Driving Practices for Employees, OSHA
www.osha.gov/Publications/Safe_Driving_Practices.pdf
Distracted Driving for Employers, National Safety Council
www.nsc.org/learn/NSC-Initiatives/Pages/distracted-driving-for-employers.aspx
Network of Employers for Traffic Safety, Road Safety Resources
http://trafficsafety.org/road-safety-resources/#openaccess
About FACE Facts | MA FACE: MA FACE (Massachusetts Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation) seeks to prevent work fatalities by identifying and investigating these incidents and developing prevention strategies for those who can intervene in the workplace. MA FACE is supported by cooperative agreement # U60OH008490 from CDC-NIOSH. This document may be copied freely and found online at www. mass.gov/dph/FACE. If you have comments or questions, call the MA FACE Project at 1-800-338-5223.
