Truck driver and injury prevention

Truck and package delivery drivers, particularly long haul truckers, typically suffer from low back pain and other workrelated injuries. If youre a driver and your company has an onsite physiotherapy provider make sure you get in contact with them. There are limited data on occupational injury and safety in lhtds, which prompted a targeted national survey. You deserve a workers compensation lawyer for tractortrailer truck drivers if you suffer an onthejob injury that results in the need for medical care or time missed from work. Musculoskeletal disorders msd of the neck, back and upper extremities these issues can be caused by loading or unloading the truck or lifting boxes, cartons, containers, garbage cans, tanks or bins. The mother of injury prevention sue baker launches safety. Common work injuries for truck drivers raleigh truck. Sitting down to lunch on a rainy october day in the retirement community north of baltimore where she lives, the 89yearold bakera professor emerita at the bloomberg school who is known as the mother of injury preventionis a charming and gracious host, her conversation peppered with mordant humor and. Learning about truck driver seat ergonomics can help drivers to reduce their workplace injuries. Workplace hazards of truck drivers bureau of labor statistics. Staying in good physical health, stretching and taking regular rest breaks can help prevent repetitive stress injuries. Fmcsa develops and enforces regulations to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. Because truck drivers stay seated for long periods of time, back pain is among the most common injury risks they face. The hazardous nature of a truckers job calls for careful thinking and serious safety precautions.

I drive locally in a dump truck for a company and am on the safety committee. Being a truck driver is a lot of work youll work long hours, sit most of the day and have little time to stretch your legs. Working conditions and fatigue in professional truck drivers. Use the 3 points of contact rule when exiting or entering your cab. Generally speaking, injuries among truck drivers in north carolina fall within the following categories. Truck drivers face an unacceptably high danger of dying while on the job from a number of causes.

In this post, we are exploring the most common types of nonfatal injuries reported by drivers, and offer up some helpful tips for injury prevention. Driver appreciation week focuses on injury prevention. The trucking industrys musculoskeleton in the closet. Because truck drivers operate heavyduty vehicles and spend long periods of time on the road, theyre more at risk for occupational injuries.

All it takes is one accident to potentially end your career. Nih funding opportunities and notices in the nih guide for grants and contracts. Sliptrip fall injury specific prevention practices. Common work injuries for truck drivers truck driver injuries in north carolina the federal motor carrier safety administration fmcsa estimates that there are roughly 17 deaths and 7 nonfatal workplace injuries per 100,000 workers in the transportation, warehousing and utilities sectors. Some of the most common injuries truck drivers face result from lifting heavy objects, being injured as a result of accidents, overusing the same muscles. Truck drivers who start to feel persistent soreness would be wise to seek medical attention before the problem gets worse. In 2010, niosh surveyed longhaul truck drivers in the united states to determine national estimates of workrelated safety and health conditions. Due to the nature of their jobs, many truck and package delivery driver injuries are unique to their industry. Mar 06, 2000 it is not uncommon for truck drivers to sleep in their trucks sleeper berths or motel accommodations.

We have had to problem solve around this issue and ensure that the health and proactive injury prevention services we provide are able to be accessed by mobile workers. Truck drivers also face health risks that can affect their livelihood. With its speed racing, high jumping, rolling, and obstacle course events, monster truck driving is inherently risky. Nov 19, 2007 i am a truck driver and a truck owner with a cross country trucking operation where i am providing a job to a driver. Covers best practices for preventing back injuries, avoiding sprains, cuts, pinches, abrasions and cuts, and avoiding becoming pinned or crushed by cargo. Truck drivers also had more nonfatal injuries over 151,000 than workers in any other occupation in 1995. Promote seat belt use in training and safety meetings. Overexertion injuries are commonly referred to strains and sprains and include injuries to the major joints and back. Aug 01, 2014 injury prevention for drivers is an industryspecific, prevention based training program on dvd from j. Besides serious truck driver injuries that accompany accidents on the road, truckers suffer from muscle sprains, falling objects, equipment malfunctions and much more.

Depending on the type of driving you may exit your truck 5 to 50 times a day. Due to limitations in the studies described above and the need for a population based study of longhaul truck drivers, the national institute for occupational safety and health niosh initiated the national survey of longhaul truck driver health and injury lhtds. The future of workplace health for truck drivers is promising. Safety and health topics trucking industry related. While safety hazards for truck drivers are everywhere on the road, theres a lot of preventive steps that can be took to lower your risk of injury or death. However, otr truck drivers must protect themselves by planning their trips, scheduling safe stops, using common sense, being aware of their surroundings, and watching out for hijackers. However, the causes and extent of high rates of injury and illness in truck drivers are not well known. Sure, you spend plenty of hours sitting comfortably in a cab, but even this gives rise to some of the most common truck driver injuries. He was standing beside the truck unfastening a securing strap when the piece of steel, which was improperly secured, fell off the truck and crushed him. Inadequate truck driver training and fatal truck crashes in indiana or illinois. Apr 11, 2014 using boring old truck driver training materials. The major safety hazards for truckers and how to prevent them. Nhtsa demonstrates its commitment to eliminating drowsy driving on our nations roads by working with the centers for disease control and prevention and the national institutes of health to expand our understanding of drowsy driving so we can reduce related deaths and injuries and help people avoid becoming a drowsydriving statistic.

Photograph courtesy of ky osha kentucky fatality assessment and control evaluation program kentucky injury prevention and research center 333 waller avenue suite 242. Truck driver injury prevention the trucking industry is a profession with one of the highest workers compensation claim rates. Jul 23, 2015 jjk 937 injury prevention for drivers this industryspecific dvd teaches drivers how to stay injuryfree while performing nondriving tasks. Dec 19, 2018 the researchers examined data from nioshs 2010 national survey on longhaul truck driver health and injury. A personal injury lawsuit can also help compensate injured truck drivers for damages that workers compensation may not cover, such as the pain and suffering caused by the injury. Truck driving is a mechanical job in every sense from shifting gears and maintaining your rig to pulling tarps and lifting freight.

Truck drivers, fallers and tree planters are three groups in our industry that experience a high overexertion injury rate. Common truck and package delivery driver injuries malman law. This site provides information about preventing occupational illness and injury in the trucking industry through links to summaries, training presentations, publications and other resources. Nonfatal hazards for truck drivers is led by overextension and bodily reaction at 35 percent, fallsslipstrips in a close second at 30 percent.

Smart and safe cell phone use 209 kb fifth wheel release back to top. National survey of longhaul truck driver health and injury. Truck drivers should take extra care in ensuring theyre doing all they can to prevent physical injury or pain and can do so by keeping a few things in mind and making small and reasonable adjustments to how they drive. In 2009, the incidence rate for nonfatal injury involving days away from work among these truck drivers was 327. If someone tells you that driving a truck is a safe job, he or she probably never drove a vehicle in their entire life. On march 24, 2006, three workers were securing a load on the deck of a boom truck. Preventing shoulder injuries truck news pulling tarps, cranking gears, lifting freight, shifting, opening and closing doors all day can put a lot of stress on your shoulder joint. Truckers also reported falling on ice while changing a tire or walking around the truck. For dvds on safety for light and delivery truck drivers, search the resource centers safety dvd catalog under the following subjects. Its imperative that health outcomes, safety and injury prevention are further prioritised for every truck driver in australia. Assessment of perceived injury risks and priorities among truck drivers and trucking companies in washington state. Ensure that entrylevel truck driver training meets current needs. The profession itself requires long hours of driving, poor diets, and little exercise, making truck drivers prone to injuries. Below well take a look at some of the easiest ways to alleviate back pain as a truck driver.

Tractortrailer truck drivers have the highest number of nonfatal workplace injuries that require days missed from work to recover. Department of transportation dot external, provided partial funding for the u. Tractortrailer and truck driver injuries workers comp. Nearly 1,300 drivers were surveyed at 32 truck stops across the country. The trucking industrys musculoskeleton in the closet truck. Commercial truck driver health and safety preventing injury and illness rfaoh07001. Oct 23, 20 on june 25, 2007, a truck driver was unloading a delivery of a 2ton manufactured piece of steel. Here are some important things to know about truck driver injury prevention. It covers basic, howto information on avoiding slips, trips and falls while on the job. Driving for many hours a day increases the chances of a car accident, especially when drivers are often running on little sleep. The researchers examined data from nioshs 2010 national survey on longhaul truck driver health and injury. Safety training resources for light and delivery truck drivers. Cdc longhaul truck drivers safety and health studies.

Federal motor carrier safety administration fmcsa external, within the u. From 2003 to 2007, the number of fatal injuries for truck drivers, particularly tractor. Approximately 1,701,500 people were employed as heavy and tractortrailer truck drivers in the united states in 2012. Would an injury that occurs to a truck driver while in the sleeper berth or at a truck stop be considered a recordable injury. In 2012, 697 truck drivers, or their passengers, were killed in crashes.

Ensure the highest level of leadership commits to driver safety programs. In this article, well go over the hazards that put truckers at risk and what steps truck drivers and their employers can take to control them. By simply resting for short intervals, taking breaks, and stopping when tired, you can prevent accidents. The trucking industry is a profession with one of the highest workers compensation claim rates. Injury and illness prevention model program for employers. To be included, participants had to be working as a longhaul truck driver. Recordable hours and injuries for truck drivers should.

Limited illness and injury data for longhaul truck drivers prompted the national institute for occupational safety and health to conduct the national survey of longhaul truck driver health and injury. Speeding and serious or fatal semi truck crashes in illinois or indiana. Learn more about truck driver injury prevention tips. Injury prevention tips for drivers united world transportation. The majority of them were longhaul truck drivers lhtds. In general, workers compensation claims are preferable to personal injury lawsuits because you dont have to prove liability only that you were injured on the job. Being a truck driver is one of the most dangerous jobs, as it requires long hours behind the wheel. Driver appreciation week calls for focus on injury prevention. Survey results, published in 2014, suggest a need for a tailored approach to prevent injury and illness among longhaul truck drivers to improve overall driver health.

It is also not uncommon for truck drivers to bathe at truck stops. Workplace hazards of truck drivers bureau of labor. Even with good posture, regular stretching, or the use of ergonomic seat cushions, nonstop driving can contribute to pressure on the spinal column and spinal discs in the lower back. About twothirds of the fatally injured truckers were involved in highway crashes. On average, a longhaul trucker works 60 hours per week and drives more than 107,000 miles per year. November 512 is drowsy driving prevention week driver shortage, elds, top list of trucking industry concerns halloween driving tricks to keep everyone safe is this email not displaying correctly. The professional safe driver course will make a real difference in your drivers performance. Birmingham, al nearly half of all musculoskeletal injuries reported by longhaul truck drivers are to their arms, backs or necks the majority being sprains and strains according to a recent study conducted by researchers from the university of alabama at birmingham.

Mar 09, 2020 truck drivers should take extra care in ensuring theyre doing all they can to prevent physical injury or pain and can do so by keeping a few things in mind and making small and reasonable adjustments to how they drive. Be aware of the hazards you face and ways counteract them and stay safe on the job. Trucks represent 6% of all vehicles, but truck crashes account for 20% of road deaths in israel, even though travel distances are usually short injuries and deaths in truck drivers. Highways are natural havens for criminals, so otr truck drivers must use caution. Center for injury prevention, unit of occupational and environmental medicine, hebrew universityhadassah medical school, jerusalem 91120, israel. For that reason, there is a high incidence of workers compensation for back pain among truck drivers. How to prevent most common truck driver injuries transit. Published on jan 6, 2017 help your cmv drivers stay injuryfree while performing nondriving tasks. Deadlines will become a part of life, and youll find, after working for a few years, that your health is suffering. Some of the injuries drivers have experienced have been due to driver incapacitation or miscalculation. Identifies truck driving from 1992 to 1995 as having the most fatalities of all occupations, accounting for 12 percent of all worker deaths. Every california employer must establish, implement and maintain a written injury and illness prevention iip program and a copy must be maintained at each workplace or at a central worksite if the employer has nonfixed worksites. It does not matter if you have a fleet of one truck traveling the back roads of nebraska or of 1,000 servicing oil fields in texas driver safety must be paramount. Sitting down properly for several hours at a time will prevent injuries and accidents.

Otr truck driver safety and selfprotection class a drivers. S ue baker sees danger everywhere not that she seems particularly anxious about it. These men and women are essential to the transportation of goods in the united states, but high job demands and low control e. Rules imposed by federal regulations do not allow for more than 12 consecutive on road hours at a time, but many drivers do more than this. Back strains are the most common type of overexertion injury.

Workplace hazards of truck drivers in 2012, the rates of fatal injuries and nonfatal injuries and illnesses of truck drivers of both heavy and tractortrailer and smaller delivery trucks were higher than the average of all private industry occupations. Or for the short version, here are the research findings. Shoulder injury prevention for truck drivers longhaul truck drivers sustain injuries and illnesses that keep them off the road at double the rate of workers in other professions considered to be hazardous, including construction and farming, fishing and forestry. Shoulder injury prevention for truck drivers insights. Cdc longhaul truck drivers injury and safety niosh. They are at risk of drowsy and distracted driving, and the consequences can be fatal. The commercial truck driver ctd experiences some of the highest rates of injury, missed days of work, and workers compensation costs compared with other workers. Arm, back and neck injuries prevalent among longhaul truck. Dont jump out of a truck this puts a great amount of stress and pressure on your joints. Musculoskeletal and shoulder injuries are very common among truck drivers, due to the long hours on the road.

Youd be surprised how just finding a nice way of sitting when you begin can positively affect the outcome of the entire journey. The second week of september is celebrated as national truck driver appreciation week, commemorated every year to pay respect to the 3. Establish and enforce, such as requiring everyone in the truck to buckle up. The most common truck driver injuries include those sustained in the neck, shoulders, and back. Longhaul truck drivers operate heavy trucks and tractortrailers with a capacity of at least 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight. Jjk 937 injury prevention for drivers this industryspecific dvd teaches drivers how to stay injuryfree while performing nondriving tasks. Results were published in the american journal of industrial medicine. Employ health has also stepped up by offering new services such as rapid response telehealth and virtual rehabilitation to deliver timely proactive workplace health and injury prevention outcomes for drivers, irrespective of their location. Musculoskeletal injuries in the occupational setting have significant impact on the worker, employer, and healthcare system. It also offers a onestop location to find applicable department of transportation dot and environmental protection agency epa compliance requirements. Being a professional trucker driver is a tough job tougher than most people realize. The relaxation of safety regulations increases the likelihood of a fatality. Rates of injury as a truck driver, you probably already know that this profession has a higher risk of workrelated injuries.

Dec 20, 2016 prevent most common truck driver injuries. Longhaul truck driver health survey results blogs cdc. How truck drivers can prevent injuries on the job coverwallet. Truck driver injury prevention tips evan transportation. With the large turnover in the trucking industry it is important, perhaps one can even go so far as to say imperative, that each company develop a truck driving safety program. Truck driver falls from tanker truck to his death incident number. What this data tells us is that hundreds, if not thousands, of truck drivers, suffer from workrelated injuries or even death in the trucking industry. The annual incident rate for nonfatal illnesses and injuries for truck drivers is 3. This article originally appeared in freight waves click here to download workletes truck driver appreciation infographic. For dvds on safety for heavy and tractor trailer truck drivers, search the resource centers safety dvd catalog under the following subjects. By law, drivers of commercial vehicles and trucks are permitted 14 hours of duty per day worked. These truck driver injury prevention tips can help limit drivers at risk. What does the future look like for workplace health and truck drivers.