Seatbelts

1
01/94

Committed to
Safety

Seat-belts Royal Oman Police regulations require
the drivers and front seat passengers of light
vehicles to wear a seat-belt whilst the vehicle
is in motion. PDO regulations further require all
rear seat passengers (except in minibuses) to
wear a seat-belt whenever the vehicle is in
motion. On 1 January, 1994 a vehicle roll-over
occurred, involving three contractor employees
who disregarded these regulations. One of the
employees was thrown out of the vehicle and
sustained serious head injuries, another was
seriously injured with multiple fractures and
lacerations while the third, the back seat
passenger, escaped with major bruising. These
injuries would have been prevented by using the
seat belts provided. The safety equipment
specifications for light vehicles (except
minibuses) include the mandatory fitting of
roll-over protection and seat-belts, to minimise
the risks of injury in the event of an accident.
However, such efforts to provide a safer driving
environment are of little use if staff are not
prepared to respect basic rules like the wearing
of seat-belts. PDO and Contractor employees are
to use seat-belts for their own protection, and
have an obligation to ensure that others
travelling in the same vehicle do the same.
Employees found violating these regulations
should receive disciplinary action. The contents
of this safety alert should be communicated to
all employees via toolbox meetings and notice
boards.