A nyone embarking on a career as a lorry driver might
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reasonably assume that the most dangerous part of the job is the threat of injury in a road accident. The law of averages dictates that the more time spent behind the wheel, the greater the danger to personal safety—making commercial vehicle drivers one of the groups most at risk.
But the evidence suggests that the greatest risk to drivers' health comes not from the hazards of the job itself but from the lifestyle that goes with it.
Successive medical studies have identified that professional drivers are at an increased risk of a wide range of potentially fatal illnesses, from heart disease to lung cancer.
Long shifts, a high-fat diet of fast food, a lack of proper exercise and irregular mealtimes make a combination of problems which is lethal for some drivers. Such is the nature of the job that to do it well means having a largely sedentary existence, something doctors now know raises the chances l of ca rdiovascular disease.
' The government has set itself a target of reducing deaths from heart disease and stroke-related illnesses by at least a third in people aged under 65 by zoro.
But to achieve this among commercial vehicle drivers will take extra effort on the part of health promotion groups, employers and drivers themselves. Few other professions face the same kind of barriers to healthy living.
In law, employers have a duty to safe. . guard their workers' well-being. The ' Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) dictates that companies can face unlimited fines for the most serious offences if they fail to look after th employees properly.
But although this means hauliers can run into trouble for not doing enough to prevent back injuries happening at work, for example, the law is much less clearcut as to whether they have an obligation to promote healthy living as part of a driver's daily routine.
Lifestyle
One of the biggest problems is that a career as a professional driver and a healthy lifestyle are highly incompatible. Regular exercise is virtually impossible when drivers are up against tight delivery deadlines, and truck-stop catering facilities focus on high-fat, low-protein foods that are cheap and filling.
Nevertheless, health experts say drivers can find ways to make changes in their daily habits that will reduce the risks to their health.
"Drivers probably don't do enough physical activity, and that's very much the nature of the job," says Alison Shaw, specialist adviser at the British Heart Foundation. ''But we all know it's important to stop and take breaks, and in those breaks why not try to do a little exercise?
"We say to everybody, try taking a brisk walk for at least 30 minutes a day and do this five days a week," she adds. "But it has to be brisk enough to make you puffed, so that you are working the heart. For anybody who has not done any exercise for a long time, it is very important that they start off gradually and then slowly increase it."
Brisk walking—or other activities like running, cycling or swimming—pump oxygen-rich blood around the body and make the heart grow stronger. That allows it to pump more blood with each beat, meaning it does not have to work so hard.
Shaw stresses that regular exercise must be complemented by a healthy diet. Fresh fruit and vegetables provide vital antioxidants which stop the arteries from becoming blocked.
Calories
"Food that's high in saturated fats tends to carry a lot of calories, so if you eat too much you have to burn it off," Shaw warns. "There needs to be a change in attitude to diet. Drivers should try to take the healthy option even when they are driving. For example, they could keep fruit in the cab to nibble on."
Doctors and the government recommend eating five portions of fruit or vegetable every day to limit the chances of developing heart disease. One way to incorporate this into the daily diet is to substitute a piece of fruit for a glass of fruit juice; or three pieces of fruit during the day can be supplemented by two servings of vegetables with an evening meal.
Drivers who have a family history of high blood pressure or raised cholesterol levels are advised to have them checked regularly, while alcohol consumption should be limited to 2ri units a week for men and 14 for women (a small glass of wine is one unit).
According to the Transport and General Workers Union, heart disease among truck drivers could be halved if a shorter working week were imposed. It claims people who work more than 48 hours a week double their risk of cardiac problems.
Drivers also risk serious back problems, partly because of' the many hours they spend in the cab and partly because they have to lift heavy goods when load: ing or unloading.
In February a survey by one trade union found four out of five workers suffer back pain and 20% of them had taken time off work because of it.
Although modern-day trucks have better seating, drivers can still suffer pain brought on by something known as whole-body vibration—which often happens when their seats are not adjusted properly.
But it's incorrect lifting that causes most back injuries.
Experts advise anyone whose job involves lots of lifting and carrying to make sure they are not being asked to do anything that breaches the regulations on manual handling laid down by the Health and Safety Executive.
The weight of the load should be checked before the driver attempts to lift it. Feet should be on either side of the load and the hips and knees should be bent.
Treatment
Research by a group of experts at Hull University found that exercise, rather than exacerbating severe lower back pain, might actually ease it. They compared a group of people who had regular exercise classes as well as standard treatment for their back pain with a group that only had the treatment. They found people in the first sample suffered less pain and were better able to control their condition.
Although research shows heart disease and back pain are proven occupational hazards for drivers, the evidence for other risks is less conclusive.
Several studies have suggested prolonged exposure to diesel fumes significantly raises the chances of developing lung cancer, while the health risks from mobile phones remain the subject of major investigations.
Leading hauliers insist that they do make an effort to ensure their drivers are in good health, but stress that there is only so much they can do.
-We are pretty limited in what we can do, and it's not our business to control their lifestyles," says Ian Marshall, of Stockton-on-Tees-based firm E Stiller Transport. "We do provide air suspension seating. and there are no vehicles more than four or five years old."
Workforce
The company has a total workforce of more than 300, including 185 drivers, but a sickness level of less than 2%.
A spokeswoman for Securicor Omega Logistics says all of its drivers undergo annual medical checks. "We always take into consideration the hours drivers work, and are always looking to make sure they are comfortable and have seats which offer proper back support," she adds.
The company also plans to introduce hands-free mobile phone sets for cabs to promote road safety and limit any potential risk to drivers' health.
These measures will help. But the main health benefits still depend on the willingness of the drivers themselves to make exercise and healthy eating a priority.