DISCOMFORT PAIN & INJURY
Preventing and managing discomfort, pain and injury boost productivity and staff morale while reducing injury-related costs.
Employers have a legal responsibility to protect their staff from harm. This means addressing all the factors present in your workplace that can lead to discomfort, pain or injury.
It covers many conditions of the muscles and bones, including:
- Gradual process injuries
- Simple back pain
- Strains and sprains
Usually these arise gradually over time, rather than from sudden events.
Common causes of driver discomfort
Discomfort, pain and injury can be caused by a number of factors common in the road transport industry. The key to prevention is to deal with as many of the following contributory factors as you can:
- Constantly gripping the steering wheel
- Being in a tense and fixed position while driving
- Sitting for long periods
- Work organisation issues, such as a lack of job variation, inadequate rest breaks and inadequate training, and the pressure of seasonal deadlines
- Uncertainty of employment
- Working in an environment with exposure to cold, wind, rain, etc
- Overall lifestyle, such as fitness and the use of alcohol or recreational drugs
- Working away from home and/or unsociable work hours
- Jumping out of a cab or off a truck tray
- Moving and handling freight, securing loads
- Opening and closing curtain siders
- Awkward access to machinery for maintenance and repairs.
