True Stories: Tarping Doesn’t Need to Be a Pain in the Back!

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  Washington (State). Department of Labor and Industries
• Description:
  Case 1: A 48-year-old truck driver lifted and pulled a 50-foot-long frozen tarp across a truck trailer full of wheat. While pulling the tarp, he felt a snap in his back followed by extreme pain. This dedicated driver was permanently disabled from the injury. His workers' compensation claim cost over $300,000. Case 2: One day, after years of picking up tarps to cover loads, a 40-year-old truck driver felt a popping sensation and pain when he picked up the tarp. Now he cannot even bend or move without pain in his lower back. He was permanently disabled from the injury and now cannot return to his job. His workers' compensation claim cost over $500,000. Case 3: A 28-year-old truck driver bent down to pick up a tarp and felt a slight discomfort in his lower back. He ignored it and kept working, knowing he needed to get the job done. The pain progressed until a couple of days later when it became extreme. This injury caused him to be off work for nearly 3 years before he could return to gainful employment. His claim cost over $120,000. TIPS TO LIVE BY: Employers - Provide a tarping station or rolling staircase. Reduce weight from water and ice by providing a tarp storage box to keep it out of the weather. Drivers - Ask the forklift driver to put your tarp on top of the load. Use a partner to help pull off and put on the tarp. If you must lift a tarp, hold it close to your body. Stay aware of your footing on the trailer deck. Wear high-visibility clothing or vest when working around your truck. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Back Injuries Equipment Operation Forklifts Injuries Injury Prevention Safety Practices Truck Drivers Trucking
• Series:
  Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Reports (FACE)
• Publisher:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Report
• 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:20058838
• Citation:
  Olympia, WA: Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, 90-87-2012, 2012 Feb; :1
• Email:
  TruckingNews@KeepTruckingSafe.org
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2012
• Performing Organization:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  True stories: tarping doesn't need to be a pain in the back!
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:9fd0e0faf648a61b8a1e6ee077734ababf062e808d9bebfd67f54b1e4088741c8e7cf75ffbb5659b1b6acb05a66e47ed0be66be07bfadebda57fcbaabb8cb109
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/228935/cdc_228935_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 169.29 KB ]