In 2021 alone, 326,160 people have been employed within the OGE business, making it essential to deal with the dangers related to their frequent journey. This text sheds gentle on the significance of prioritizing the security of OGE workers, notably when navigating the roads that join properly websites and rural areas.

The Driving Problem

OGE staff typically negotiate rural roads with minimal infrastructure, missing agency shoulders and security options like rumble strips. Lengthy-distance commutes from houses, inns, or gear yards are frequent, and paired with irregular working hours, fatigue turns into a major concern. Sadly, motorized vehicle crashes contribute to over 50% of work-related deaths within the OGE business, emphasizing the urgency of addressing driving-related dangers.

Surveying the Panorama

To achieve insights into the components influencing motorized vehicle crash dangers amongst OGE staff, The Nationwide Institute for Occupational Security and Well being (NIOSH) performed a survey involving 500 land-based OGE staff throughout Colorado, North Dakota, and Texas. The survey, printed within the American Journal of Industrial Medication and Journal of Security Analysis, highlighted key findings concerning commuting, sleep, work schedules, security insurance policies, and dangerous driving behaviors.

Survey Insights

The survey revealed that, on common, OGE staff face lengthy every day commutes, prolonged working hours, and inadequate sleep. A majority of drivers reported partaking in dangerous behaviors equivalent to distracted driving (60%), together with hands-free telephone use, handheld mobile phone use (24%), and texting (18%). Moreover, a good portion admitted to driving whereas feeling drowsy (26%), with 27% even acknowledging falling asleep behind the wheel.

Addressing the Dangers

To mitigate motorized vehicle crash dangers amongst OGE staff, it’s crucial for employers to implement efficient security insurance policies and practices, together with defensive driver coaching.

Advantages of Coaching

OGE firms can expertise a variety of serious advantages when workers full a defensive driving course and subsequently enhance their driving habits, together with decreased accident charges, decrease insurance coverage prices, decreased car upkeep prices, enhanced worker morale, elevated productiveness, authorized compliance, improved model repute and picture, price financial savings, improved gas effectivity, decreased worker absenteeism, and fostering a tradition of steady enchancment.