Almost 60 per cent of truck drivers in a recent Canadian study reported experiencing musculoskeletal (MSD) pain and discomfort on the job, even though it may be preventable.
“Given
the
fact
that
MSDs
account
for
nearly
one-half
of
all
work-related
illnesses
and
the
transportation
sector
makes
up
a
significant
portion
of
that,
understanding
the
risk
factors
associated
with
musculoskeletal
disorders
is
important,”
said
lead
author
Sonja
Senthanar,
a
doctoral
candidate
in
the
School
of
Public
Health
and
Health
Systems.
“While
the
link
between
trucking
and
MSDs
has
been
studied
in
other
countries,
there
is
a
dearth
of
research
in
Canada.”
According
to
the
Ontario
Ministry
of
Transportation,
truck
driving
is
the
second
most
common
occupation
in
Canada,
employing
nearly
one
in
35
males
between
the
ages
of
20
and
64
years.
Public health researchers at the University of Waterloo surveyed 107 male truck drivers passing through two popular highway stops in Southern Ontario and found that 57 per cent had experienced musculoskeletal pain and discomfort, especially low back pain. They found an association between this pain and discomfort and specific risk factors, including organizational safety climate, level of risk associated with the job, exhaustion from work tasks, being married and having higher education levels.
Senthanar said that being married and more educated are presumably associated with pain and discomfort because the presence of a spouse and knowledge gained from education can increase awareness of musculoskeletal symptoms – and therefore rates of reporting.
Co-author Philip Bigelow, a professor in the School of Public Health and Health Systems, said, “Physical exposures such as awkward postures, repetition, lifting, whole body vibration and prolonged sitting, as well as personal factors such as physical fitness and job satisfaction, are known to be associated with the development of MSDs. Since driving a truck involves a variety of these risk factors, programs that address these multiple factors are needed.”
Bigelow said that a number of large Canadian carriers have adopted programs that take holistic approaches that include reducing vibration exposures through improved seating, modifying workloads and physical tasks, as well as promoting the overall wellness of drivers by encouraging physical activity and healthy eating.
Researchers at the University of Waterloo are members of a Canadian team of researchers that is engaged with stakeholders in the industry to identify such wholistic programs and to evaluate their impacts. They hope that companies with successful programs can act as champions of driver health and wellness to improve working conditions for all truck drivers.
The research paper, “Factors associated with musculoskeletal pain and discomfort among Canadian truck drivers: A cross-sectional study of worker perspectives,” was published in the Journal of Transport and Health by Senthanar and Bigelow, who also works at UWaterloo’s Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD).