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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.

Strain, sprain or overexertion

msds

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are strain, sprain or overexertion injuries to muscles, tendons and joints. These injuries can occur suddenly from an incident like a fall or over time from repetitive motions such as jumping from the cab.

 

Some examples of MSDs include rotator cuff injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, back strain and tendonitis.

 

Using proper techniques to complete work can reduce the risk of developing these injuries.

 

Below are safety materials that you can use in your trainings to address these issues.

 

Click here for a guide on how to prevent sprain, strain and repetitive motion injuries at your company

 

Early reporting equals better outcomes

The sooner you report and deal with an injury, the better your health outcome (507 KB) (poster printable on letter size or 11x17 paper)

 

Work safe, home safe

Save your back for the good things in life - poster (454 KB) Can be printed on 8.5x11 or 11x17 paper

Would your son mind if you couldn't shoot a few hoops? - poster (125 KB) Can be printed on 8.5x11 or 11x17 paper
En Español

 

Why you need to have and follow company policy regarding lifting

Truckers are tough, but seriously? (177 KB)

 

Protect your ability to work

Cowboy up? - poster (262 KB) (printable on letter size or 11x17 paper)

Your back bone's connected to your shoulder bone... - poster (237 KB) Can be printed on 8.5x11 or 11x14 paper

Prevent back/shoulder sprain - poster (377 KB) (printable on letter size or 11x17 paper)

Recurring pain can lead to disabling injuries - tip sheet (160 KB)

What a trucker needs to know about CTS - dollars & sense (153 KB)

Making the connection (145 KB)

 

Load securement

Lever vs. Ratchet - tip sheet (154 KB)

 

Lifting

Truckers are tough, but seriously? true story(117 KB)

Guess my weight? - Poster (502 KB) (Can be printed on letter or 11x17 paper)

Take one for the team? - true story (255 KB)

Can a rotten day get worse...you bet! - true story (320 KB)

Get help with heavy or awkward loads - tip sheet (154 KB)

Line truck driver hurts shoulder lifting converter gear - true story (96 KB)

If you have to move it manually - organize and store heavy objects at a comfortable height - tip sheet (122 KB)

80-pound box leads to 8 days off work - true story (189 KB)

Cab/trailer entry/exit

Consider the length of your career...(cab) (530 KB) (poster printable on letter size or 11x17 paper)

Consider the length of your career...(flatbed) (510 KB) (poster printable on letter size or 11x17 paper)

Consider the length of your career...(trailer) (384 KB) (poster printable on letter size or 11x17 paper)

Want to be a pro? Trailer exit strategies (159 KB) (poster printable on letter size or 11x17 paper)

High mileage and rough treatment can wear out your truck and your knees (250 KB) (poster printable on letter size or 11x17 paper)

Be prepared for severe weather

Snowed in true story (205 KB)

Snowed in poster (259 KB)(printable on letter size or 11x17 paper)

 

TRUE STORY

The right equipment could have kept this driver out of a tight spot

A 40-year-old less-than-truckload driver was delivering a 450 lb. cooler. When he arrived at the customer site, he realized that the truck did not have the lift-gate necessary for delivery. Additionally, the cooler was sitting on a damaged crate.

 

The customer had paid for a truck with a lift-gate and wanted the cooler delivered as promised. The driver called his manager and was told to “get it done,” so he tried to unload the cooler by himself.

 

When he manually lifted the cooler off the truck, the damaged crate caused it to fall forward. The cooler landed on his shoulder, pinning him to the ground in the squat position. He managed to gently slide the cooler off of himself so that it wasn’t damaged, but his back was hurt.

 

The driver continued to work for 5 days after the injury until the pain in his back was so intense that he could not move. When he finally went to the doctor, he was diagnosed with 2 ruptured discs and 1 that was torn. He’s been off of work for 6 months and his workers’ comp claim has cost more than $20,000. Good planning and the right equipment could have saved him and his company a lot of pain and expense.

 

How-to-guide back to top

Preventing injuries to muscles, tendons and joints

Low-cost and simple solutions do exist that can help reduce the number of strain and sprain injuries in your company. Hundreds of companies have shown that investments in injury reduction are paid back in less than a year. Here are several steps that can be followed to tackle these injuries:


Step 1: Evaluate the Problem

Step 2: Prioritize the Risks

Rank the identified tasks based on the following:

1. History of injuries

2. Amount of physical effort

3. Number of workers

4. Identification by workers and supervisors


Step 3: Develop Solutions

Step 4: Implement Solutions

Step 5: Evaluate and Improve


These are the basic steps to address strain and sprain injuries in your company. The strategies can vary and should be tailored to what works best for you. The TIRES Project staff in the SHARP Program are available to help you work on these issues. Additionally, your industry association or third-party administrator may be able to provide resources and ideas.