Removing your lanyard is hardly the first thing that springs to mind when you jump in your motor after finishing work. However, according to one UK police force, doing so could help minimise the risk of your injuries if you are unlucky enough to get in a car crash.
The force issued a warning following previous incidents which saw motorists suffer more severe injuries because of their lanyards. In a Facebook post, Dorset Police Volunteers said: “There have been a couple of serious traffic accidents of note (not within Dorset Police) where the wearing of identity lanyards around the drivers’ necks has exacerbated the severity of the injuries sustained.
“This type of accident is fortunately unlikely – however, staff, officers and volunteers should be aware of the hazard and how to avoid it.
“One driver was involved in a minor car accident and was wearing their company lanyard and pass. The car airbag was deployed on impact and the force of the airbag caused the lanyard and pass to be pushed into the driver’s chest, causing a lung to collapse and requiring hospital treatment.”
The post claimed that, had the person not been wearing their lanyard and pass at the time, they would have most likely walked away relatively unscathed. Somerset Live, which reported on this warning at the time, continued by sharing another incident that sparked this warning.
“In another accident, an NHS worker stored a lot of keys on her lanyard for medicine cabinets, lockers etc. She got into her car and was driving home, but did not remove her lanyard.
“Unfortunately, she also had a crash that triggered the airbag. The force of the airbag caused the keys to perforate her bowel. She was in the hospital for over 6 weeks, and she has been off work for 6 months.”
Somerset Live wrote back in 2019 that the police “strongly advised” everyone who may wear a lanyard (i.e. for work, school, college, university) removes it before getting into a car. This applies to both drivers and passengers alike.
How can employers protect their employees?
According to the British Safety Council, while injuries caused by wearing lanyards when driving are highly unlikely, it is important to reduce that danger as much as possible. Employers should heed the warning of the police, who have seen firsthand the extent of the damage that lanyards can do.
Employers are encouraged to educate their employees about the hazards posed by lanyards. Most importantly however, they must request that they remove their lanyards when driving to and from work and also while driving as part of their job.
This could be done, for example, by speaking to employees directly, by sending a company-wide email, by covering it in training sessions, by updating company policy documents and by placing warning stickers in company vehicles.
Once employees have been told to remove their lanyards, employers should take steps to enforce this rule. It can be as simple as monitoring employees as much as is reasonable, and by reminding them of the dangers and the company rules.