It Really Happened: No Distance, Know Pain

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  Washington (State). Department of Labor and Industries
• Description:
  Truck drivers risk serious injury when they work on or around trucks parked too closely to traffic. Parking your truck a safe distance away helps prevent injury to you and damage to your rig. A 32-year-old truck driver learned this the hard way when he fell from his trailer after it was hit by another truck. The driver parked his truck near an area that other trucks passed through often. He got out of the cab and climbed about five feet up on the trailer to adjust some equipment. As the driver worked, the sound of nearby vehicles faded from his attention. Another truck suddenly struck the driver's trailer, sending him falling to the ground. As the driver fell, he hit his back against a metal cargo bin before landing hard on his left side. Feeling instant pain shooting through his head, back, and neck, the driver needed immediate hospital care. A medical exam and imaging scan showed that the driver's fall injury included strains and sprains to his neck and back along with several slipped discs. The injury left the driver with limited motion, stabbing pain, and numbness in his neck and back for more than a year. Months of treatment with little improvement revealed a permanent disability that ended the driver's trucking career. All of this happened because he parked too close to moving traffic. TIPS TO LIVE BY: Management: Include a policy in your safety program that makes sure all worksites have traffic control plans, and clearly designated truck parking areas and pedestrian waiting areas. Work with customers to locate, establish, and mark truck loading zones in business districts with limited curb space, no off-street parking, and competing user demands. Educate drivers and other employees about maintaining situational awareness at worksites. Drivers: Park your truck in a designated area at a safe distance from moving traffic. Never work near moving equipment and vehicles. Wear high-visibility reflective clothing meeting ANSI Class 2 or Class 3 standards. Always maintain situational awareness of vehicle and pedestrian traffic at worksites. Do not use cell phones, headphones, or engage in activities that distract you at worksites. All Employees: Actively look for hazards and share injury prevention ideas with management. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accidental Falls Accidents Education Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Protective Clothing Safety
• Keywords:
  Equipment Maintenance Equipment Operation Fall Protection Falls Hazards Injuries Injury Prevention Loading Docks Personal Protection Personal Protective Equipment PPE Protective Clothing Protective Equipment Protective Materials Safety Measures Safety Programs Traumatic Injuries Truck Drivers Trucking

  More +
• Publisher:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Fact Sheet
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 10 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20060869
• Citation:
  Olympia, WA: Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, 90-147-2018, 2020 Summer; :1
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2020
• Performing Organization:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  It really happened: no distance, know pain
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d1edeceb37fa35398a212919eabd2f8987e3bf305287e433f67621285954a55757cab32d942deb4be93a0e7beb362135bce700538c20a9150eb2aa8b5b5e312d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/224653/cdc_224653_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 883.00 KB ]