Effect of Burnout on Accident Involvement in Occupational Drivers

Managing the health and wellness of occupational drivers requires the recognition of burnout as an occupational hazard. However, the literature is dominated by studies of stress rather than burnout. The manner in which burnout may affect accident involvement is investigated in occupational drivers. The proposed causal structure is based on the stressor strain model, in which burnout mediates between occupational stress and accident involvement. The study recruited 915 public transport drivers. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory and an effort reward imbalance scale were adopted to measure burnout and occupational stress, respectively. Results of the analysis indicated that burnout exerted a direct effect on accident involvement beyond the effect of occupational stress. Enhancing the perception of a safety culture does not significantly reduce the effect of occupational stress on burnout; however, it does significantly reduce the effect of burnout on accident involvement and thus indirectly alleviates the effect of occupational stress on accident involvement. In summary, as a comprehensive measure of the adverse effect of various types of chronic stressors, burnout provides a strong indicator for the identification of drivers who pose a risk to the organization and to road safety. Burnout management should be incorporated into overall stress management. Occupational drivers normally experience a low level of empowerment and long work hours; thus, a safety culture is crucial to this occupational category to reduce burnout and ensure workplace safety.