NIOSH Road Safety Research Current Projects and Future Directions May 25, 2005 Stephanie Pratt National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Centers.

NIOSH Road Safety Research

Current Projects and Future Directions

May 25, 2005

Stephanie Pratt

National Institute for Occupational Safety and

Health

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Rationale for NIOSH Involvement

Related to mission of conducting research and making recommendations to prevent work-related injury and illness

Motor vehicle crashes are leading cause of death for all workers

Truck drivers have high numbers of crash fatalities and nonfatal injuries from all causes

Customers want prevention strategies based on research

Motor Vehicle Research Projects

Trucking focus:Work Organization Influence on Fatigue in

Truck Drivers Examining organizational factors associated with

driver fatigue and crashes

Mortality among Independent Owner-Operator Truck Drivers Assessing whether truck drivers are at risk of

premature mortality from specific diseases

Research Projects (cont.)

Focus on other worker populations:Ambulance Crash Survivability Improvement

Developing engineering interventions to improve occupant restraint systems and structural integrity of ambulance patient compartment

Risk Factors for Vehicle Crashes among Public Employees Analyzing nonfatal crash data for state DOT employees

and assessing vehicle safety programs; collaborating with U.S. Department of Defense to analyze crash data for active duty military personnel

NIOSH Transportation Initiative

Preventing motor vehicle crashes and crash-related injuries among all workers who drive on the job

Preventing all types of occupational injury and illness among workers employed in the transportation industry

Transportation Initiative Focus

Virtual research center, with NIOSH-wide steering committee providing guidance

Develop capacity among NIOSH staff

Identify and fill research gaps

Build collaborations with partners in public and private sectors

Pilot Projects for 2005

Evaluation of the effects of firefighter apparel on the operation of a fire response vehicle

Non-fatal work-related roadway crash injuries by industry and occupation

Field evaluation of a continuous passive lumbar motion system for long haul truckers

Truck operator warning zones Identification of risk factors leading to

injuries among female package delivery drivers

Committees

ANSI Z-15 Committee, Safe Practices for Motor Vehicle Operations

Transportation Research Board, Truck and Bus Safety Committee [FMCSA]

Network of Employers for Traffic Safety [NHTSA, FMCSA, FHWA]

National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH), motor vehicle safety work group [OSHA]

Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Services [NHTSA]

Roadway Work Zone Safety and Health Coalition [with OSHA, construction trade associations, and labor]

Interagency panel advising on formulating an evidence-based strategy for regulating truckers’ hours of service [FMCSA]

Possible Future Activities Multi-year project: anthropometric

database for a nationally representative sample of truck drivers (FY06)

External research initiative: trucker safety and health (FY07)

Collaboration with a national provider of pest control services

Matching of Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries with FARS

Research Needs

Non-fatal crashes: circumstances and risk factors

Driving habits, intensity, and exposure, especially among non-”professional” drivers

Effect of commuting on risk for workplace crashes

Effectiveness of hours-of-service regulations for trucking

Effects of in-vehicle technologies and electronic devices on safety

NIOSH Hazard Review Crash data Regulations Special topics: distracted

driving, age, fatigue Safety recommendations Internet and print

resources

www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2003-119/pdfs/2003-119.pdf

1-800-35NIOSH

Fact SheetsPrevention Strategies for Employers

Who’s at Risk?

NIOSH Motor Vehicle

Web Page

www.cdc.gov/niosh/injury/traumamv.html

Planning for the Second Decade of the National Occupational Research Agenda

(NORA) Since 1996, NORA has provided a national

framework for OSH research With new NORA, research will be grouped

by industry sectors NIOSH is seeking input on research needs (

www.cdc.gov/niosh/nora) Subscribe to NIOSH eNews for NORA

updates (www.cdc.gov/niosh/enews)

Questions?

Stephanie Pratt

304-285-5992

[email protected]

www.cdc.gov/niosh/injury/traumamv.html

The findings and conclusions in this presentation are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.