Risk & Business Magazine Spectrum Insurance Spring 2017 | Page 28

OSHA & DOT
OSHA And DOT
Stance On Distracted Driving
T
he top priority of the
Occupational Safety and
Health Administration
(OSHA) is keeping workers
safe. While workplace
fatalities have been decreasing in recent
years, motor vehicle crashes continue to be
one of the leading causes of death among
American workers. As distracted driving
dramatically increases the risk of vehicle
accidents, OSHA and the Department
of Transportation (DOT) are working
together to combat distracted driving for
the safety of workers across the country.
OSHA’S DISTRACTED DRIVING
INITIATIVE
According to OSHA, employers should
prohibit any work policy or practice that
requires or encourages workers to text
while driving as it greatly increases the
risk of being injured or killed in a motor
vehicle crash.
While texting is not specifically addressed
as an OSHA standard, the General Duty
Clause in The Occupational Safety and
Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) covers
distracted driving when it states
“EMPLOYERS
MUST PROVIDE
A WORKPLACE
FREE OF SERIOUS
RECOGNIZED
HAZARDS.”
It is well-recognized that texting while
driving dramatically increases the risk
of a motor vehicle injury or fatality, and
a number of state laws prohibit texting
while driving. This means you could be in
violation of the OSH Act if your company
does the following:
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