Back pain a big risk in haulage
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• Working drivers are three times more likely to get a bad back than other workers, says the National Back Pain Association (NBPA).
It tells drivers to take breaks every hour to an hour and a half to get circulation moving, and avoid injuring their spines by spending extended periods sitting in a fixed position. "They should seize every opportunity to take a break," says NBPA research administrator Norma Montague. "Discs and vertebrae are put under 40% more pressure when sitting rather than standing, so the dangers to working drivers are obvious."
She warns of long-term damage, with symptoms including arthritis and inflammation of the joints.
The number of working days lost to back pain has soared from 67m in 1990 to 93.16m in 1992 and benefit claimed by back injury sufferers went up by 208% between 1978 and 1992.
Physiotherapist Jeffrey Boyling says that although many commercial vehicles have suspension seats drivers of older trucks still get a lot of movement.
He says fleet drivers should adjust seats properly, take care when handling cargo, and shouldn't jump down from truck cabs.
"It's a bad combination, involving prolonged sitting, with a loss of physical fitness, and then being asked to do something demanding," he says.
He also warns that spine protecting belts haven't been med ically proven.