Virtually 60 per cent of truck drivers in a current Canadian research reported experiencing musculoskeletal (MSD) ache and discomfort on the job, despite the fact that it might be preventable.
“Given the truth that MSDs account for almost one-half of all work-related sicknesses and the transportation sector makes up a good portion of that, understanding the chance elements related to musculoskeletal issues is essential,” mentioned lead creator Sonja Senthanar, a doctoral candidate within the College of Public Well being and Well being Methods. “Whereas the hyperlink between trucking and MSDs has been studied in different nations, there’s a dearth of analysis in Canada.”
Based on the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, truck driving is the second commonest occupation in Canada, using almost one in 35 males between the ages of 20 and 64 years (examine).
Public well being researchers on the College of Waterloo surveyed 107 male truck drivers passing by two common freeway stops in Southern Ontario and located that 57 per cent had skilled musculoskeletal ache and discomfort, particularly low again ache. They discovered an affiliation between this ache and discomfort and particular danger elements, together with organizational security local weather, stage of danger related to the job, exhaustion from work duties, being married and having larger schooling ranges.
Senthanar mentioned that being married and extra educated are presumably related to ache and discomfort as a result of the presence of a partner and data gained from schooling can improve consciousness of musculoskeletal signs — and subsequently charges of reporting.
Co-author Philip Bigelow, a professor within the College of Public Well being and Well being Methods, mentioned, “Bodily exposures akin to awkward postures, repetition, lifting, entire physique vibration and extended sitting, in addition to private elements akin to bodily health and job satisfaction, are recognized to be related to the event of MSDs. Since driving a truck includes quite a lot of these danger elements, packages that handle these a number of elements are wanted.”
Bigelow mentioned that a lot of giant Canadian carriers have adopted packages that take holistic approaches that embody lowering vibration exposures by improved seating, modifying workloads and bodily duties, in addition to selling the general wellness of drivers by encouraging bodily exercise and wholesome consuming.
Researchers on the College of Waterloo are members of a Canadian group of researchers that’s engaged with stakeholders within the business to establish such wholistic packages and to judge their impacts. They hope that corporations with profitable packages can act as champions of driver well being and wellness to enhance working situations for all truck drivers.
