Compliance and enforcement in road safety and work health and safety: a comparison of approaches

Abstract

Previously in road safety and work health and safety (WHS), compliance and enforcement focussed on individual responsibility, but now both fields are moving towards system-wide, integrated approaches. Other commonalties include referring to incidents rather than accidents and preferring proactive responses to reactive ones. In both fields there is a tendency to normalise levels of risk and their approaches to risk control share many similarities. A literature review and workplace interviews helped compare compliance and enforcement approaches in WHS and road safety with reference to a hierarchical model of such approaches commonly used in WHS. Comparisons were made for: the use of rewards and incentives; inspection and auditing programs; making full use of violation data; looking beyond traditional regulatory solutions to compliance and enforcement; and the applicability of the model in both fields. These comparisons may assist in determining if current WHS policies and practices to compliance and enforcement are appropriately balanced.