Good Practices in Social Security. Commuting Safety Support Program. Good practice in operation since: Social Security Organisation Malaysia

Transcription

1 Good Practices in Social Security Good practice in operation since: 2017 Commuting Safety Support Program Social Security Organisation Malaysia Published

2 2 Summary The Commuting Safety Support Program (CSSP) was introduced in 2017 by the Social Security Organisation (SOCSO) in collaboration with the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS). The program aims to facilitate employers implementation of commuting safety at the workplace through practical intervention. It aims to reduce motorcyclist accidents and was initiated through partnership with various stakeholders. Improvements in commuting safety positively impact on working conditions, productivity, economic and social development. The strategy is based on the Standard and Industrial Research Institute 4 (SIRIM) of Malaysia: 2014 Good Practices in Implementing Commuting Safety Management Guidelines. The program involves (a) gap analysis/baseline on commuting safety at the workplace, (b) CSSP training for employers and employees, (c) CSSP intervention at the workplace by participating employers and employees, and (d) CSSP evaluation. Results show that 76 per cent of the workplaces in the program have achieved a minimum of 10 per cent reduction in commuting accidents and a 21 per cent reduction in unsafe riding behaviour after the program, with participants wearing personal protective gear such as helmets and vests. Approaches such as the Vision Zero initiative can be useful tools. To fully utilize the method, being a Vision Zero partner is essential. The issue or challenge What was the issue or challenge addressed by your good practice? Please provide a short description. SOCSO covers commuting accidents as part of its employment injury scheme and recognizes the impact of increasing number of commuting accidents especially among motorcyclists. Road accidents affect the social security of workers by hampering their ability to work and earn a living. Failure to prevent commuting accidents and injuries will affect the long-term sustainability and viability of the social security fund which is based on social solidarity principle. SOCSO has implemented various programs and initiatives to control the increasing number of commuting accidents in Malaysia. However, SOCSO realized that the success of the preventive programs needs the full commitment and involvement of employers. As such, it is timely that SOCSO introduces a program that facilitates the involvement of employers in educating their employees on commuting safety management. The number of commuting accidents has increased by 75 per cent from 19,041 accidents in 2008 to 33,319 accidents in Numerous efforts by various agencies to prevent the accidents did not adequately address the problem as it was not focussed on workplace-based intervention and cooperation from employers. The main challenge that SOCSO faces in implementing an effective intervention program is the lack of a commuting safety culture among employers and employees in Malaysia.

3 3 Addressing the challenge What were the main objectives of the plan or strategy to resolve the issue or challenge? List and briefly describe the main elements of the plan or strategy, focusing especially on their innovative feature(s) and expected or intended effects. The main objective of the CSSP is to reduce commuting accidents by facilitating employers implementation of a commuting safety intervention program. SOCSO has implemented the following initiatives with the specific objectives: Gap analysis/baseline on commuting safety at the workplace: Assess the level of existing commuting safety management at the workplaces. The information obtained from the assessment will be utilized to determine and propose a suitable intervention program for the workplace. CSSP training for employer and employees: Train-the-trainer (TTT) workshop: This workshop is intended to train the management and safety committee members on the methods of intervention which may include daily motorcycle inspection, route hazard mapping, family safety reminder card and road safety performance audit. The training committee members will act as the implementors who will then conduct the intervention with the employees at the workplace. CSSP intervention at the workplace by participating employers and employees: The aim of this initiative is to reduce the number of commuting accidents through intervention at the employers and employees level. CSSP will be prioritized among the top 100 companies in terms of commuting accident cases in Malaysia. The training committee members with the assistance of SOCSO, MIROS and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will conduct the training modules with all the workers at the workplace. The program consists of seven modules which include motorcycle daily inspection, defensive riding training, commuting safety talk, riding behaviour assessment, route hazard mapping, family safety reminder and fitness to ride assessment. As part of SOCSO s commitment to the ISSA Vision Zero initiative, employers and employees were also exposed to Vision Zero during the intervention. The representatives are required to participate in a survey on Vision Zero s 7 Golden Rules. The purpose of the survey is to measure the level of implementation of Vision Zero in their respective workplaces which also helps to promote the implementation of Vision Zero in the workplace CSSP evaluation: The objective is to evaluate the impact of the program in terms of the level of commuting safety practices among employees. The findings will be used for future improvement of the program. This evaluation is known as the road safety performance audit a post program evaluation with focus on riding behaviour. Targets to be achieved What were the quantitative and/or qualitative targets or key performance indicators that were set for the plan or strategy? Please describe briefly.

4 4 The OSH Master Plan 2020 aims to reduce commuting accidents, increase awareness and enhance commuting safety culture among workers in Malaysia. The successful implementation of CSSP not only improves the safety and health while commuting to and from work but it will also create a positive impact on working conditions and improve the quality of life among workers. To achieve the objectives, SOCSO has undertaken the following initiatives: Gap analysis/baseline on commuting safety at the workplace. Output: 115 workplaces. CSSP training for employer and employees: Train-the-trainer (TTT) workshop This workshop trains OSH Committee members to become the implementers to increase the awareness of employers and employees on safe commuting to work. Output: 1,000 trainers. Output: 10,000 employees attended. CSSP intervention at the workplace by participating employers and employees: The intervention program covers theoretical and practical lessons about safety commuting. Output: 805 training sessions. Output: 10,000 trained motorcyclists. CSSP evaluation. Output: 115 evaluation reports. Evaluating the results Has there been an evaluation of the good practice? Please provide data on the impact and outcomes of the good practice by comparing targets vs actual performance, before-and-after indicators, and/or other types of statistics or measurements. In order to evaluate the program, SOCSO engaged the MIROS to conduct an impact study for the first year implementation of the program. The results have shown that 76 per cent of the workplaces involved with the program have achieved a minimum of 10 per cent reduction in commuting accidents. After the implementation of CSSP, participants showed changes in behaviour towards wearing personal protective gear while riding such as helmets and vests, demonstrating a reduction of 21 per cent in their dominant unsafe riding behaviour after the program. About 85 per cent of participants improved their riding behaviour, specifically on compliance of personal protection while riding. Commuting safety management was continuously implemented by most of the companies. However, there is room for improvement which may require further consultative engagement. Participating companies showed a reduction in the number of commuting accidents after the implementation of the program in comparison with the previous year.

5 5 Lessons learned Based on the organization s experience, name up to three factors which you consider as indispensable to replicate this good practice. Name up to three risks that arose/could arise in implementing this good practice. Please explain these factors and/or risks briefly. SOCSOs experience in establishing and expanding the CSSP strategy holds important lessons, in particular for other countries. The following three factors are indispensable to replicate this good practice: The importance of an appropriate legal mandate or framework to support prevention in social security systems, by clearly defining especially the role played by the government and social partners, professional safety and health organizations as well as social security institutions in promoting prevention through smart partnership concept. The managerial commitment to implement the program for the safety of their employees is vital. Such a commitment must be obtained prior to further engagement with the planning and implementation of the program. The importance of a systematic approach that can be adopted by employers to implement commuting safety activities as part of their safety and health initiatives. Approaches such as Vision Zero can be useful tools for the abovementioned systematic approach. In order to fully utilize the method, membership as Vision Zero partners is essential. The three risks: The perception that road risk is beyond the reach of employers and therefore risk mitigation is left purely to road authority. Investing in commuting safety is not seen to be beneficial in the long term by employers, but instead is seen as a short-term productivity loss. Employers may withdraw from the programs if such a view is not addressed as early as possible. Lack of expertise within the social security and OSH fraternities in the field of workrelated road safety. In our case, the smart partnership between the social security institution and the road safety institution is utilized to generate a comprehensive module for the program.