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International Conference on Road Safety at Work. Debbie Stearns, New Zealand Accident Compensation Corporation February, 2009. New Zealand Accident Insurance Scheme.
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International Conference on Road Safety at Work Debbie Stearns, New Zealand Accident Compensation Corporation February, 2009
New Zealand Accident Insurance Scheme • The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) administers New Zealand’s accident compensation scheme, which provides personal injury cover for all New Zealand citizens, residents and temporary visitors to New Zealand. • In return people do not have the right to sue for personal injury, other than for exemplary damages.
ACC covers all accidents • ACC is a 24 hour, 7 day per week, 365 days per year, no fault accident compensation scheme. • Claims are covered no matter where the accident occurs; at home, on the road, at work or while playing sport. What does this mean? • Approximately 1.8m claims annually • roughly 6900 claims per working day • Costing $1,500,000,000 for rehabilitation, treatment and weekly compensation
ACC Funding Awareness This is ACC EmployersAccount Non-Earners Account Average $1.31/$100 liable earnings General Taxation $$$$$$$$$$$$$ $0.08c $5.95 Motor Vehicle Account EarnersAccount Car Reg’ = $211.10 $1.70/$100 earned Petrol = 9.34c/L
Motor Vehicle Fund/Employer Account • Structure of the scheme is that payment of all claims occurring on a public road are paid for from the Motor Vehicle Fund. Whether the person was working or not. • All claims occurring in the workplace (but not on the road) are paid from the Employer Account. There is a lost opportunity for data collection, in that NZ does not know the impact of work related crashes on the scheme or the country.
Injury Prevention • Our goal is to reduce the incidence of serious injuries, their severity and their costs to all New Zealanders. • Public Safety Injury Prevention focuses on Road, Home and Sport. • The Workplace Safety programme focuses on those industries that have the most impact on the scheme; Agriculture, Construction, Forestry, Health, Metal Manufacturing and Road Transport
Injury Prevention Programme Model All Injury Prevention Initiatives: • Are based on evidence, either NZ or international • Include collaboration with strategic partners • Lead to the development of a safety culture The process of initiative development includes: • Identify evidence to support the need for the initiative. • Identify an initiative with evidence to support effectiveness • Develop initiative in consultation with strategic/industry partners (ACC has no enforcement rights) • Implement initiative (educational in nature) • Monitor and evaluate initiative • Adjust initiative based on evaluation results and continue implementation
For instance • Heavy Vehicle Seat Belt Wearing programme • In 2006, an observational survey showed that 42% of NZ truck drivers wear their seat belts. Initiative developed in collaboration with industry partners. • In 2008, a repeat of the observational survey done in 2006 showed that 58% of truck drivers wear their seat belts, an increase of 16%. • Will survey again in 2010. • Reports available upon request.
Commercial Driver Fatigue programme • Designed to address the on-road risk posed by commercial drivers and their employers. • Uses the Health & Safety in Employment Act 1992, where employers are required to provide a safe workplace. A vehicle driven for the purpose of work is defined as a workplace. • This is the only mechanism in NZ by which employers are notified of driver infringements.
Scope and Objectives • To improve the evidence base within NZ and the industry in relation to fatigue in the workplace • To educate and raise awareness of the dangers of fatigue as • A hazard • Important Road Safety Issue • Legislatively it must be managed • Encourage management safety within rostering and planning • Encourage self awareness and responsibility • To improve reporting of poor driving behaviour to employers, to • Ensure on-off road H&S connection • Encourage active fatigue management strategies
Benefits of the Commercial Driver Fatigue Programme • ACC/NZ Police Shared Database • Targeting to risk – more effective use of resources • Improved use of available legislation • Opportunity to promote different Injury Prevention messages • Interagency Approach and Alignment to Government Strategies
Thank you • Debbie Stearns debra.stearns@acc.co.nz 64 09 915 1749