Abstract
Recent epidemiological studies have shown that there is a clear need for efforts
to prevent non-traffic occupational injuries among truck drivers. The objective of
the present study was to establish the hazard scenarios for truck drivers during
loading/unloading through analyses of text descriptions of accident processes.
Focus was on accidents that were primarily related to movement/operation on and
around the truck, which are particular to truck drivers. Special emphasis was
placed on falls from heights, as this was shown to be the most frequent type of
accident and a major cause of fractures among truck drivers. Analyses of text
descriptions of 136 accidents, including 63 cases of fall from height, collected in
one company over a period of three years, revealed that: (a) the major triggering
factors for falls from heights on and around the truck were stepping off the edge
at height (33.3%), wrong footing (27.0%), and loss of balance/control of wagon
(15.9%); (b) the major triggering factors for accidents on and around the truck in
general were slip/trip (44.1%) and defect/malfunction (14.7%). The present study
identified four target areas for improving prevention of occupational accidents of
truck drivers in connection with movement/ operation on and around trucks during
loading/unloading: (1) improvement of the procedures for unloading to reduce the
risk of fall from the back-hatch lift, (2) improvements of shoes and housekeeping
to reduce the risk of slip/trip, (3) improvement of truck maintenance, and (4)
reconciliation of views on causes of accidents between employers and truck drivers
as a first step for a dialogue for improving safety in the goods-transport branch.