Itasca, IL – The National Safety Council is pleased to announce that National Transportation Safety Board
Chairman Deborah Hersman
will speak at the Employer Cell Phone Policy Seminar on Thursday, Feb. 28, at the San Diego Convention
Center in San Diego. More than 150 employers from a variety of industries across
California are expected to attend the free seminar to learn how cell phone
policies keep employees and the driving public safe and decrease employers’ risk
of liability.
“NTSB has made curbing
distracted driving one of its top priorities, and Chairman Hersman has led the
charge,” said Janet Froetscher, president and CEO at NSC. “Under her direction,
NTSB has investigated several cell phone-related crashes, including some cases
where employers were held liable. We are certain Chairman Hersman’s insights will
help employers understand the importance of cell phone policies, which are a
best practice in workplace safety.”
Hersman implemented a
complete ban of cell phone use while driving – handheld and hands-free – for
all NTSB employees upon being named Chairman in 2009. In December 2011, NTSB
became the first government organization to issue a recommendation that all 50
states and D.C. ban the use of portable electronic devices while operating a
motor vehicle. In its 2013 Most Wanted List, NTSB has called on companies to develop and enforce
policies that prohibit employees from engaging in distracting behaviors, such
as cell phone use, while operating any mode of transportation.
“Employers play a critical
role in keeping their employees safe on the roads, and one of the best ways to
help ensure their safety is through cell phone policies,” Hersman said. “I am
honored to speak with employers who are dedicated to that mission and to work
with the National
Safety Council to reduce crashes involving
cell phone distracted drivers.”
NSC called for a ban on using
handheld and hands-free cell phones while driving in 2009 after reviewing more
than 30 scientific studies. NSC released a white paper,
Employer Liability and the Case for
Comprehensive Cell Phone Policies and developed the NSC Cell Phone Policy Kit to help employers streamline implementation.
About the National Safety Council
Founded in 1913 and chartered
by Congress, the National Safety Council (nsc.org) is
a nonprofit organization whose mission is to save lives by preventing injuries
and deaths at work, in homes and communities and on the roads through
leadership, research, education and advocacy. NSC advances this mission by
partnering with businesses, government agencies, elected officials and the
public in areas where we can make the most impact – distracted driving, teen
driving, workplace safety and safety beyond the workplace.