Accident reduction

The systems which are the major focus of this chapter are described below. They emphasize the identification of underlying causes and the use of this information to specify error and accident reduction strategies. 

The body of technical knowledge on process safety was not extensive at that time. In 1967, the first AIChE Loss Prevention Symposium was held in Houston, Texas. Over the next decade there was more focus on Process Safety and the field grew. In todays atmosphere, world-class plants are highly focused on accident reduction and as a result, working within a chemical plant is one of the safer occupations. 

American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE)—A professional membership organization comprised of safety engineers. The ASSE publishes findings that advance the knowledge base for accident reduction and illness prevention. It also contributes to the development of standards, often working with ANSI. Online at http //www.asse.org/. 

As ITS evolves from pure research, limited prototyping, and pilot projects into routine usage, decision makers at the corporate, state, regional, and local levels seek reliable information about the contribution that ITS products can make toward meeting the demand for safe and efficient movement of people and goods. Literature indicates that substantial benefits have already been realized in areas such as accident reduction, travel-time savings, customer service, roadway capacity, emission reduction, fuel consumption, and vehicle stops. Greater benefits are predicted with more extensive... 

This is much more reflective of the corporate voice zero is the goal of the process of accident reduction. The speaker is careful to ensure that all accidents are included within their definition both the number and type (reportable or incidents) of accidents are given importance. Zero is positioned as the ultimate target of the programme, a number to be achieved at completion. 

Once again, future progress in accident reduction requires tossing out the old assumption and substituting a new one ... 

Complete elimination of the hazard from the design Reduction of the likelihood that the hazard will occur Reduction of the likelihood that the hazard results in an accident Reduction of damage if an accident does occur... 

The benefit may be direct or indirect. The direct benefits include reduction of accidents, reduction of travelling time/costs and reduction (or no increase) of vehicle maintenance cost. The indirect benefit is the social benefit arising from comfortable and safe transportation of the users for social and commercial activities. 

Jacobs, G.D., (1982). The potential for road accident reduction in developing countries. Transport Reviews 2, pp. 213-224. 

Guastello, S.J. The comparative effectiveness of occupational accident reduction programs. Paper presented at the International Symposium Alcohol Related Accidents and Injuries. Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland, December 2-5, 1991. 

Encourage employer interest in accident reduction and prevention. 

Spring Lake Drive Itasca, IL 60143-3201 (630) 285-1121 Fax (630) 285-1315 Website www.nsc.org E-mail customerservice nsc.org The NSC is a voluntary, nongovernmental organization that promotes accident reduction by providing a forum for the exchange of safety and health ideas, techniques, experiences, and accident-prevention methods. 

IHT (1986). Highway Safety Accident Reduction and Prevention Guidelines... 

Special Activity Group on Accident Reduction (SAGAR) 1-95 The safety performance of wide single two-lane carriageways, January 1995... 

TRL Research Report RR321 Accident reductions from trunk road... 

The greatest benefits in terms of accident reductions are from grade-separated junctions (57%), rural road realignment (42%), and rural bypasses (32%). 

This represents an accident reduction of 0.48 accidents per site per year. 

Roundabouts signalised for accident reduction purposes show a 46% reduction in accidents, those signalised for queue control show a 34% reduction in accidents, and those signalised for capacity purposes show a 16% reduction in accidents. 

The greatest accident reductions after signalisation are on roundabouts with low speed limits and large central island diameters. 

Speed limit roundel signs - average reduction in mean speed 4 mph, average accident reduction 58%. 

Junction/bend warning signs - reduction in mean speeds up to 7 mph, average accident reduction 26%. 

A total of 31% accident reduction across all 21 Norfolk sites. 

Although the chevrons were specifically designed to influence multi-vehicle collisions, the largest accident reductions are in the numbers of single-vehicle accidents. 

Some encouraging accident reductions but further monitoring required. 

The most substantial measures (physical features and signing/ marking measures with high visual impact) would be the most effective in terms of speed and accident reduction. 

A 65% average accident reduction is achieved through the installation of 75 mm road humps. 

In order to determine whether a real reduction in risk has occurred, the monitoring process can attempt to make allowance for the possible reasons for the apparent accident reduction. Traffic levels can... 

As far as this book is concerned, the potential for regression to mean is acknowledged, along with the acceptance of the possibility that some of the claimed accident reduction values will overstate the real change that has occurred. 

When you offer frequent rewards, such as on a weekly basis, it allows you to keep safety awareness and your accident reduction goals in front of the employees constantly while reinforcing positive behaviors and building a safety culture. 

Aerospace s efforts have been very valuable to the Air Force and other US government agencies. Aerospace CEO E.C. Aldridge recently estimated that Aerospace saves the government l- 2 billion a year in cost savings from accident reduction (compared to Aerospace s annual budget of 365 million) (Aldridge, 1999). Due in part to Aerospace s efforts, the US Air Force boasts a very low (2.9 percent) launch failure rate (Tomei, 2002, cited in CAIB, 2003 184). 

The safety precautions described so far have concentrated on hardware solutions. However, it should be recognised that a large proportion of accidents result from people adopting unsafe systems of work on electrical systems. It is therefore clear that the adoption of safe systems of work should have clear benefits in accident reduction. Safe systems of work are frequently referred to as software measures, in comparison with the hardware measures already covered. 

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