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OSHA Trade Release
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Trade News Release
March 30, 2006
Contact: Frank Meilinger
Phone: (202) 693-1999
OSHA Alliance with Dow Leads to Case Studies on Motor Vehicle Safety
WASHINGTON -- Reducing motor vehicle accidents (MVA) is the focus of a new pair of case studies that are the product of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Alliance with The Dow Chemical Company (Dow). Through the Alliance, originally signed in 2003, Dow worked to identify the root causes of MVAs and implement effective motor carrier and vehicle safety programs.
"These case studies offer useful information and demonstrate the correlation between safety and health excellence and business excellence," said Jonathan L. Snare, Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA. "They provide practical examples of how this correlation can enhance worker safety and health, improve employee morale, and increase quality, efficiency and profitability."
- Motor Carrier Safety Case Study: A Collaborative Approach to Reducing Motor Carrier Incidents describes how Dow worked with one of its motor carriers to implement a new behavior-based safety program to reduce rear-end collisions. Drivers served as observers of critical causes and submitted their data anonymously. The data were collected, posted, and discussed by the drivers during safety meetings. A group of drivers met to identify the causes of certain types of accidents, evaluate them and establish preventative measures. The goal for the project was an annual 60-percent reduction in rear-end collisions, but in the first year, the reduction was 82 percent.
- Motor Vehicle Accident Case Study: The Dow Chemical Company's Use of "Six Sigma" Methodology traces how a Dow business unit used a problem-solving methodology called "Six Sigma" to find the root causes of MVAs and offer innovative ways to reduce them. At Dow, MVAs were the largest single cause of occupational fatalities for the period 1992 through 2002. Dow implemented its program in 2002 and by 2004 the company reduced its MVAs by 30 percent.
Employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure the safety and health of America's workers by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual process improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.
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