Regardless of whether we’re talking about Security Driving specifically, or the protection profession in general, given the hours and demand placed on practitioners fatigued driving – and all of the risks it represents – is a legitimate occupational hazard.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, some of the causes of fatigue are things which the professional practitioner is all too familiar with, such as interruption or fragmented sleep; chronic sleep debt; and disrupted circadian factors associated with driving patterns.
Today, with the number of studies that have been released on fatigued driving (or driving while drowsy) should an incident occur where fatigue was a factor, claiming ignorance is simply not an option. When it comes to culpability and liability, lawyers just love the term “had reason to know, or should have known” and, unfortunately, when it comes to driving – or protecting – while fatigued, they have a point. So it’s up to the practitioner to recognize the risks and do whatever they can, to the fullest extent possible under whatever the circumstances they may find themselves working in, to reduce fatigue.
This is especially critical when they find themselves behind the wheel – whether it’s because that is their assigned role, or even if their just headed home after a long shift – where vision, information processing, judgment and reaction time are critical factors and are all impacted, sometimes significantly, by fatigue.
The infographic below has some information that every practitioner should certainly be aware of, and some tips on how to reduce fatigue. Not all of them may be practical or always practicable, but should be applied whenever and wherever possible to reduce the risks associated with fatigue – which is truly an occupational hazard for Security Drivers and protection practitioners alike.
Very interesting article. I’m going to add a little more to this.
But first a little about me. I have a M.Eng degree in Industrial Safety Engineer, A CSP, two CSHO certs, ext. I’ve been a HSE ‘Safety’ director for one of the largest utility companies on the planet. Now, I own and operate a HSE consulting company. I’ve also contracted overseas for three years on both WPS and WPS 2 contracts and I’m a US Army Infantry vet, ext.
With that written. It is the employers job to schedule driving in a way that reduces or eliminates fatigue. All corperations NEED a full driving safety program.
Why?
To….
1. To save lives and to reduce the risk of life-altering injuries within your workforce.
2. To protect your organization’s human and financial resources.
3. To guard against potential company and personal liabilities associated with crashes involving employees driving on company business.
Your program should work to keep the driver and those with whom he/she shares the road safe. And, if necessary, the program must work to change driver attitudes, improve behavior, and increase skills to build a “be safe” culture. By instructing your employees in basic safe driving practices and then rewarding safety-conscious behavior, you can help your employees and their families avoid tragedy.
Employees are an employer’s most valuable assets! Workplace driver safety programs not only make good business sense but also are a good employee relations tool, demonstrating that employers care about their employees.
Motor vehicle crashes cost employers $60 billion annually in medical care, legal expenses, property damage, and lost productivity. They drive up the cost of benefits such as workers’ compensation, Social Security, and private health and disability insurance. In addition, they increase the company overhead involved in administering these programs.
The real tragedy is that these crashes are largely preventable.
Lastly, lets not forget CFR 1910, Section 5(a)(1), the General Duty Clause of the Act, employers must provide their employees with a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm. Employers can be cited for violating the General Duty Clause if there is a recognized hazard and they do not take reasonable steps to prevent or abate the hazard. This standard applies to ALL companies, yes, even EP companies. You as a business owner, manager, executive have no choice BUT to offer an environment free from recognized hazards. Such as fatigued driving.
Sources:
1. http://www.trafficsafety.org
2.https://www.osha.gov/Publications/motor_vehicle_guide.html
3.https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/motorvehiclesafety/