Work characteristics associated with injury among light/short-haul transport drivers

This study aims to describe the hazard environment facing drivers of light freight vehicles and short-haul transport drivers and to examine the relationships between hazard exposure and injury.

Drivers (n=321) of rigid vehicles up to 12 tonnes Gross Vehicle Mass working within a 100 km radius of their base across the Australian state of New South Wales were surveyed regarding their experience of occupation-specific hazards and their experience of workplace injury in the past year.

Principal components analysis identified four clusters of hazards corresponding to those associated with work organisation, vehicles, road and access, and interpersonal conflict. In logistic regression analysis, work organisation and vehicle-related hazards, explained unique variance in the experience of injury in the past year. However, frequent stress replaced work organisation when included as a predictor in the analysis.

Drivers' most common safety concern (road and driving issues) reflected the frequency of their exposure to road and access hazards but did not parallel their injury experience. Examination of the hazards most strongly associated with injury suggest that industry risk management efforts should target work organisation and vehicle-related hazards, and particularly work practices that engender frequent stress among drivers.