The transitioning process from ISO/IEC 27001:2013 to ISO/IEC 2....
ISO 39001 - Road Traffic Safety Management System
Quality Management System
2015-09-23
Introduction
Road traffic accidents are the largest cause of occupational fatality in most developed countries. Without taking precaution, road traffic accidents will cause serious injuries or result in loss of lives. The challenge for organizations goes beyond providing an emergency response plan or having established first aid processes that were previously used.
Organizations of all sizes and types, regardless whether they are involved directly or indirectly in a road traffic system or simply generating road traffic, should engage in a comprehensive, systematic, preventive, protective, preparatory, and mitigation process. It is no longer sufficient to simply draft a response plan that anticipates and minimizes the consequences of road traffic crashes. Organizations must take adaptive and proactive measures to reduce the probability of such an event.
In US alone, according to the US
Department of Labor, motor vehicle crashes cost employers $60 billion annually in medical care, legal expenses, property damage, and lost productivity. In addition to the potential loss of human life or injury, an average crash costs an employer
$16,500. When a worker has an on the job crash that results in an injury, the cost to their employer is
$ 74,000, and if a fatality is involved, this cost can exceed $500,000.
According to the UK Department of Transport, there were 24,870 deaths or serious injuries on the road in 2012. Their estimates show that 24% of serious injuries, and 30% of road deaths were work-related road traffic accidents.
Work-related road crashes account
for almost half of all occupational fatalities in Australia.
ISO 39001 is important for road safety since organizations must develop road traffic safety plans to ensure smooth operation within their working environment, as they aim to improve the safety of their drivers, increase legal compliance, reduce injuries and deaths, reduce work absences, and reduce crash-related costs.
ISO 39001, the world’s first international standard for Road Traffic Safety Management, has been recently developed to help organizations improve the safety of road users and minimize the risks of disruptions.
ISO has officially launched the ISO 39001 “Road Traffic Safety (RTS) Management System – Requirements with guidance for use”. This standard crowns earlier partial
attempts of different programs such as “Vision Zero” developed in Sweden, and the World Bank Global Road Safety Facility Road Safety Management System Framework.
An overview of ISO 39001: 2012
ISO 39001 specifies requirements to plan, establish, implement, operate, monitor, review, maintain and continually improve a management system, to prepare for, respond to and deal with the consequences of road incidents when they occur.
The requirements laid down in ISO 39001 are generic, flexible and useful to all types of organizations. Organizations and their leadership can show their commitment to the Global Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020) by becoming ISO 39001 certified.
In view of the fact that ISO 39001 is one of the most recently published management system standards that fully integrates a high level structure (ISO/Guide 83) and comprises common text with other standards, it is totally aligned with all other management systems once the related standards have also adopted the ISO Guide 83 guidelines.
What is Road Traffic Safety Management System?
RTSMS is a part of the management system, which sets the conditions and factors related to road traffic crashes and other road traffic incidents that have an impact on, or have the potential to have an impact on death or serious injury of road users.
How to ensure road traffic safety?
Organizations shall consider the following guidelines included in the main clauses of this International Standard to help prevent road traffic incidents.
Key clauses of ISO 39001:2012
Following the new structure of the ISO Guide 83, ISO 39001 is organized into the following main clauses: Clause 4: Context of the organization
Clause 5: Leadership
Clause 6: Planning
Clause 7: Support
Clause 8: Operation
Clause 9: Performance Evaluation Clause 10: Improvement
Each of these key activities is overviewed below.
Clause 4: Context of the organization
External and internal issues that affect the organization’s ability to achieve intended outcome(s) of its RTS management system shall be determined, which relate to the following:
- The organizations role in the road traffic system;
- The processes, associated activities and functions of the organization that can have an impact on Road Traffic Safety;
- The needs and expectations of interested parties
- Road Traffic Safety related legal and regulatory requirements to which the organization subscribes.
Clause 5: Leadership
Top management is accountable for demonstrating leadership and commitment, establishing a Road Traffic Safety policy and communicating the assigned roles and responsibilities within the organization.
Clause 6: Planning
The most essential part of ISO 39001 and stage of the RTSMS is the planning phase since it relates to the identification of the RTS performance factors, defines actions to address risks and opportunities, and states RTS objectives for achieving.
Depending on the context of the organization the RTS performance factors need to be quantified where possible and they are separated into the three following categories:
- Risk exposure factors which include the distance traveled, road traffic volume, and the volume of product or service provided by the organization.
- Final safety outcome factors consist of aspects such as the number of deaths and serious injuries.
- Intermediate safety outcome factors are specified in the following table:
Clause 7: Support
A range of management functions are required in order to effectively implement and sustain a successful Road Traffic Safety Management System, including:
>> Coordination: Coordination between interested parties and employees is important for achieving the established RTS objectives and RTS targets.
>> Resources: Relevant resources and an allocation framework shall be established, implemented and maintained to ensure continual improvement of the RTSMS and its objectives and targets.
>> Competence: Determining and acquiring the necessary competence of persons working in the organization based on their education, training and experience, and retaining appropriate documented information as evidence of competence, are important steps for the continual improvement of the RTSMS.
>> Awareness: Employees of the organization, who have to do with the RTS, shall be aware of the RTS policy, their contribution to the effectiveness of the RTS management system, the implications of non-conformities with the requirements of ISO 39001 and the information and lessons learned from road traffic incidents.
>> Communication: Internal and external communication including work group meetings, newsletters, and discussions of advantages and disadvantages of options for controlling specific hazards or preventing unsafe behavior shall be determined.
>> Documented information: The organization shall create, update and control documented information required by the ISO 39001 International Standard and those determined by the organization, as being necessary for the effectiveness of the RTS management system.
Clause 8: Operation
The planning and control of the organization’s operations and processes shall be determined and implemented to address the RTS performance, objectives and targets. The organization shall also prepare and respond to actual death and serious injuries caused by traffic incidents, based on its emergency procedures.
Clause 9: Performance evaluation
After the implementation of the RTSMS, ISO 39001 requires permanent monitoring of the system as well as periodic reviews to improve its operations by:
- Monitoring, measuring, analyzing and evaluating the RTSMS
- Investigating road traffic incidents, and
- Conducting internal audits and management reviews.
Clause 10: Improvement
An organization is required to practice procedures for identifying nonconformities and taking corrective and preventive actions. These nonconformities shall then be reacted upon and dealt with by taking relevant actions to eliminate their causes, thus assuring continual improvement of the RTSMS.
What are the benefits of road traffic safety management?
As with all the major undertakings within an organization, it is essential to gain the backing and sponsorship of the executive management. By far, the best way to achieve this is to illustrate the positive gains of having an effective quality management process in place, rather than highlight the negative aspects of the contrary. Today an effective quality management system is not about being forced into taking action to address external pressures, but its importance relies on recognizing the positive value of quality management when good practice is embedded throughout your organization.
The adoption of an effective road traffic safety management process within an organization will have benefits in a number of areas, examples of which include:
- Reduce death and serious injury;
- Increase confidence in the organization from interested parties;
- Conformity;
- The implications for health & safety legislation and duties of care can be correctly considered;
- Avoidance of liability actions;
- Cost reduction; and
- Increase timely delivery of products and services.
Why is PECB a worthy choice?
Implementation of a RTSMS with IMS2 methodology
Considering the well documented benefits of implementing a Road Traffic Safety management system based on ISO 39001, makes the proposal easier to decide on.
Most companies now realize that it is not sufficient to implement a generic, “one size fits all” road safety plan. For an effective response, with respect to maintaining the road traffic safety management system, such a plan must be customized to fit to a company. A more difficult task is the compilation of an implementation plan that balances the requirements of the standard, the business needs and the certification deadline.
There is no single blueprint for implementing ISO 39001 that will work for every company, but there are some common steps that will allow you to balance the frequent conflicting requirements and prepare you for a successful certification audit.
PECB has developed a methodology (please see example below) for implementing a management system; the “Integrated Implementation Methodology for Management Systems and Standards (IMS2)”, and it is based on applicable best practices. This methodology is based on the guidelines of ISO standards and also meets the requirements of ISO 39001.
IMS2 is based on the PDCA cycle divided into four phases: Plan, Do, Check and Act. Each phase has between 2 and 8 steps for a total of 18 steps. In turn, these steps are divided into 101 activities and tasks. This ‘Practical Guide’ considers the key phases in your implementation project from start to finish and suggests the appropriate ‘best practice’ for each one, while directing your to further helpful resources as you embark on your ISO 39001 journey.
The sequence of steps can be changed (inversion, merge). For example, the implementation of the management procedure for documented information can be done before the understanding of the organization. Many processes are iterative because of the need for progressive development throughout the implementation project; for example, communication and training.
By following a structured and effective methodology, an organization can be sure it covers all minimum requirements for the implementation of a management system. Whatever methodology used, the organization must adapt it to its particular context (requirements, size of the organization, scope, objectives, etc...) and not apply it like a cookbook.
Steps for obtaining a PECB Certification
To ensure that organizations or individuals achieve planned and desired RTSMS results, the following steps will serve as guidance on how to become PECB Certified on ISO 39001 – Road Traffic Safety
For more information, please visit ISO 39001 training courses.
Principal Authors:
Eric LACHAPELLE, PECB
Mustafë BISLIMI, PECB
Contributors:
Bardha AJVAZI, PECB
