"Zero road risk in the construction industry": The OPPBTP is launching a national campaign to mobilize and raise awareness among all players in the sector

By supporting Road Safety Week at work, from May 9 to 13, 2022, the OPPBTP is launching an unprecedented national communication, information and awareness-raising system for the prevention of occupational risks in the construction industry. The objective is to unite all players in the construction industry to support companies in the sector in assessing and taking into account professional road risk. Its ambition is clear: to sustainably change behavior to achieve “zero road risk” in the construction industry.

Road risk, still too present in the construction industry

The notion of professional road risk encompasses all the risks of more or less serious accidents when a professional travels in a vehicle for professional reasons. A distinction is made between travel risk, occurring during the home-to-work journey or between the place of work and the place of catering, and mission risk, occurring during travel necessary for the performance of the work.

With a wide variety of vehicles (heavy goods vehicles, utility vehicles, with or without trailers, etc.) and specific trades, such as long-distance travel, vehicle loading, load securing or signaling temporary on construction sites, the road risk is particularly present in the construction sector. It affects all professionals in the sector, at all levels of the company. In fact, road risk remains the second leading cause of serious and/or fatal accidents in the sector. In 2019, it was the cause of 51 deaths, including 12 on assignment and 39 commuting accidents, i.e. 44% of all fatal accidents recorded for the construction industry. In addition, while construction accounts for 6% of commuting accidents in all sectors, it represents 14% of fatal commuting accidents.

A priority for the government and for the entire construction industry

Aware of this major challenge for professionals, the Interministerial Delegation for Road Safety (DISR), the National Health Insurance Fund (Cnam) and the Ministry in charge of Labor have carried out numerous actions, in particular allowing a better knowledge of the risk professional driver. Nevertheless, efforts are still needed to achieve a further reduction in serious and fatal accidents. The Occupational Health Plan 4 and the Government Plan for the prevention of serious and fatal accidents, which was presented in March 2022 by the Ministry of Labor, therefore plan to mobilize all the players in the professional branches.

In this context, and for the first time, the DISR is joining forces with a professional sector by supporting the OPPBTP in the launch of a national road risk prevention system in the construction industry and field support, echoing the Days road safety at work, organized from 9 to 13 May 2022.

A dedicated campaign to mobilize players in the construction industry

Thus, from May 9 to June 17, 2022, the construction branch is mobilizing around professional road risk, to provide answers to the problems specific to its businesses. The OPPBTP will carry out a national communication, information and awareness-raising system for all players in the sector, with the support of institutions and partners mobilized on road safety issues: the General Directorate of Labor, the Delegation Interministerial for Road Safety, Cnam, INRS, professional organizations of employers and employees, the Intercompany Occupational Health Services of the BTP (SIST-BTP), the SMA BTP Group, PRO BTP and the Foundation of the BTP .

Together, and with the ambition of achieving "zero road risk" in the construction industry, they wish to:

• Raise the awareness of as many construction companies as possible thanks to a range of information and services, linked to the trades and the specificities of road risk in the construction industry;
• Publish a barometer of the consideration of road risk by construction companies;
• Accompany a panel of 150 to 200 targeted companies in the assessment and consideration of occupational road risk.

For this, the system is organized around three main axes:

The deployment of important means of communication

In order to raise the awareness of as many construction professionals as possible, the OPPBTP provides companies with a complete communication kit. This includes in particular a variation of 10 posters related to the main risks for construction professionals on the road (drunk driving, securing equipment, overloading vehicles, etc.), five awareness videos, an animation kit dedicated to the campaign (banners, logos...) or even stickers and goodies. A prevention letter will also be sent by mailbox to all construction companies in May.

In addition, the device provides for the purchase of Google advertising and a major communication campaign on social networks, always with the aim of reaching as many construction professionals as possible.

All the communication media refer to a website which will remain accessible throughout the campaign and which is entirely dedicated to it: zeroriskroutierBTP.fr.

An information and awareness campaign on occupational road risks

Professionals will find on this website all the resources made available to share, raise awareness and inform the teams, with:

• The renewed and enriched service offer of the OPPBTP, including more than 150 mementos, site solutions, questions/answers, works, and posters.
• About fifty additional resources from campaign partners, including those of the SMA BTP Group, the DISR quizzes and the Cnam's professional road risk assessment tool.
• A driver self-assessment test in ten simple questions, allowing the identification of the best solutions and tools to improve behavior on the road and act effectively on road risk.

Companies will also be able to register online or directly with OPPBTP regional agencies for information webinars led by a team of 36 prevention advisors:

• A webinar on road risk in general, to better understand it and obtain advice and solutions on “all audiences” topics, such as wearing seat belts, fatigue, speeding, driver responsibility, etc.
• Two more technical webinars on issues specific to the construction industry such as load securing, work under traffic, vehicle layout, etc.

In order to adapt to all audiences, each webinar will be available in a version for business leaders, supervisors and prevention officers on the one hand, and for employees, temporary workers and apprentices on the other.

A strong presence in the field to support professionals

Finally, the OPPTBP wishes to take advantage of these 6 weeks of mobilization to meet companies, better understand their needs and initiate a support process.

To do this, OPPBTP advisers will contact a representative panel of 1.000 companies to assess their level of maturity in road risk prevention and carry out a targeted diagnosis. Thus, a questionnaire on professional road risk and their prevention culture in general will be sent to them, allowing them to advise them on prevention actions in line with their needs. The Organization is also setting itself the goal of extending this face-to-face support to approximately 200 companies for which greater needs have been identified.

The diagnoses carried out as well as all the data collected during the campaign will also make it possible to have the first barometer of the consideration of road risk in the construction industry, with the aim of organizing the action of the construction branch in favor of the road risk prevention.