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Peer reviewed journals

Work related injuries in Washington State's Trucking Industry, by industry sector and occupation.
Smith C. Williams J. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 2014. Click here for the complete article. Or for the short version, here are the research findings.

 

Assessment of perceived injury risks and priorities among truck drivers and trucking companies in Washington State.
Spielholz, P. et. al. Journal of Safety Research, 2008. Click here for the complete article.

 


The information provided on the linked sites is solely the view of the authors and does not reflect the official views of SHARP and / or L&I.

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Revive your safety training with the interactive tools below

Transfer trailer safety
This course teaches prevention of common traumatic injuries in the paving industry.
Fall from ladder


What is safety climate?
Safety climate is the new catch phrase in occupational safety circles. But what is it? And what does it mean to your company? Find out in this 5 minute training:
What is safety climate?


Prevent falls from ladders
Based on the true story of a driver painfully injured from rushing down a ladder.
Fall from ladder


Fatal crush
Use this true story to prevent similar incidents
Crush Prevention


Chaining up
Find the safety gear that the driver is using!
Chain up


Lever vs. Ratchet
Is there really a good reason to switch from a tool that has gotten the job done for years?
Load binders


Tarping
Lifting heavy items can cause injuries to your back and shoulders over time. The driver demonstrates the pros and cons of getting the tarp on the flatbed.

Tarping



Prevent slips
Slips, trips and falls cause many injuries in trucking. Changes in footwear, tasks and environment matter. Test your knowledge by clicking the slip simulation below.
Friction simulation


Jump Force
Know the forces involved in exiting your truck cab or trailer. Try our force simulator: Click here to access..
exit game




Partner news

How Do You Develop a Successful Safety Training? Published by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, April 2015.
TIRES: Helping to Reduce Work Related Injuries in the Commercial Trucking Industries Published in Northwest Transporter, Vol 16, Issue 1, Winter 2013.
Don't Jump! Published in Transport Topics Online, November 2011.
Risk - Part of the Job? (85 KB) Published in The Route, September 2010.
Even on Foot, Trucking is Risky Business Published in Transport Topics Online, June 2009.

Fatal injuries in the trucking industry

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) truck drivers are six times more likely to be killed on the job than other workers. A Washington State study showed that 1 out of every 4,100 full-time employees in the Washington trucking industry will be fatally injured. In fact, there were 63 deaths during the years 1998-2005.

 

Although the majority of deaths (over 60%) are vehicle-related, many were from falls or crush injuries.

 

Here are some true stories of Washington trucking industry workers who were killed on the job and tips to avoid similar incidents.

 

Prevent run overs

Company president shares the pain of losing an employee. (244 KB pdf) A true story shared by Marty Johnson of Tacoma Motorfreight Service.

Setting the parking brake would have saved him - true story (395 KB) based on the report: Truck Driver Dies after being Run Over by Propane Transport Rolling Backward at Bulk Plant. This fatality report was produced by the Washington State FACE (Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation) program.

 

Prevent falls

Fatal fall - true story (222 KB)

Delivery truck driver fatally injured in fall - true story (487 KB)

Preventing falls from loading docks - poster (301 KB)

 

Prevent struck by or against injuries

Let's make sure this doesn't happen again (143 KB)

Load shift cost his life (157 KB)

Don't stop that truck (140 KB)

Small details can save your life - narrative (216 KB)

Driver killed when run over by co-worker - narrative (186 KB)

Beware of blind spots - poster (611 KB)

FATAL FACTS: Hazards to Truck Drivers Loading and Unloading (REVISED Jan 2011)

 

Prevent motor-vehicle collisions

FATAL FACTS: Fatal Work-Related Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes in Washington State, 1998-2007

 

Truck drivers

FATAL FACTS: Truck Driver Fatalities

FATAL FACTS: Hazards on the Road for Log Truck Drivers