Are Your Drivers Fit?
Page 52
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Significant Facts About Health of Drivers Revealed by Medical Examination Carried Out by Big Organization
By
John Walton
Chief Engineer, Mechanical Transport, Unilever, Lid.
BENEFICIAL although it has been, the National Health Insurance Act, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, can still further be exploited from the worker's point of view. Unilever, Ltd., has introduced maintenance schemes, periodical brake tests, testing machines for brakes and technical examination of drivers, to ensure that, so far as possible, from a mechanical point of view, the public, our own drivers and our own goods are protected. There are, however, further directions in which we feel that this important feature of public safety can be explored.
We have for some time felt that, whilst our vehicles were mechanically as good as it was possible to make them, the human element might, or might not, leave something to be desired in the matter of physical fitness for the job. To that end, therefore, we decided, in consultation with the medical officers of the concern, to institute an examination in certain sections of our transport undertaking.
Disconcerting Evidence.
Our preliminary findings, which were mainly concerned with the more ageing of our drivers, were disturbing. We therefore took steps to subject the whole of the S.P.D. staff, covering 232 • drivers, to a medical examination. The basis of the scheme is as follows:— A medical examination, in the light of his particular work, will be necessary when a man is newly engaged as a driver, or on transfer from the present staff of guards or warehousemen, and thereafter in 10-year periods up to 40 years, and from then in fiveyear periods until the termination of service. It also applies to all members of the transport staff who are absent
from work for three consecutive weeks, due to sickness,
The board makes it quite clear that no hardship shall be imposed on any of the staff, where it is possible to avoid it, and we classify the various jobs as follow :— Class 1. Holding an H.G.V. licence. fit to drive either a heavy 20 in.p.h, or light 30 m.p.h. vehicle.
Class la. Holding an H.G.V. licence, fit to drive only a heavy vehicle at 20 m.p.h.
Class 2. To act as guard where a guard is normally used.
Class 3. To act as warehouseman or in any other capacity not on the vans.
Classifications Left to Doctor.
We leave to the discretion of our doctor the classifications, except in the matter of eyesight, and for this we lay down a definite standard, known as " SnelIen's Test." We also ask that emphasis be laid in these examinations on colour-blindness, deafness and, to a lesser degree, gastric troubles and hernia. The statistical position, as disclosed by these examinations, is as follows:—
It would appear from detailed examination of our reports that the physical standard is slightly better in the provinces, as per the following figaues:—
Provinees: 142 men examined, 29 rejected20.42 per cent. London: 90 mon examined, 22 rejected24.44 per cent.
It would also appear that between the age of 50 and 55 years is the critical period, in view of the percentage of rejects at that age.
The conclusion immediately drawn from this examination is that almost 22 per cent, of our drivers were not actually physically competent to be on the road. The significant feature is, however, that, in spite of National Health Insurance and free treatment for all illnesses, until we took steps to have them examined, the men were content to continue their life's work in an indifferent state of health. As will be seen from the figures submitted, 40 of the men rejected as unfit were, after suitable National Health treatment, able to resume their duties as Class 1 drivers, hut 11 were obviously unfit to be at the wheel.
Drivers Must be Sound_
We are now extending materially the scope of our investigations, in the light of the discoveries made by this preliminary survey.
Employers should realize the necessity of having not only their vehicles in sound mechanical order, but also the men who handle them. To the men themselves, I would strongly commend the machinery of the National Health Insurance to obtain free treatment, so as to maintain themselves in the state of physical fitness compatible with their work. The adoption of any such scheme should provide for the absorption of the unfit.
REJECTS.
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