Heavy Drivers Gearing up to a Healthier Lifestyle

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1 Harrington Driver Training Services D Heavy Drivers Gearing up to a Healthier Lifestyle Tom Harrington LL B July 2012 Abstract. In this article, issues regarding the health and well-being of LGV drivers are discussed. Lifestyles, healthy eating, sources of fatigue and stress that affect LGV drivers are looked at. Details of a healthy balanced diet which can improve your health and prolong your lifespan are suggested. Some international research on fatigue is looked at and ways of relieving it is given. Stress is an occupational hazard and whereas a little is normal, too much can cause many physical and emotional problems. Driving especially for long periods - is one of the most intensively causing stress activities and advice is given on how to recognise your stressors and cope with them. As more and more LGV drivers are becoming conscious of their weight, and the possible ensuing health problems, it is time for them and their employers to help in gearing up to a healthier lifestyle. T R U C K D R I V E R S - ST O P Y O U R J O B F R O M K I L L I N G Y O U!

2 A career in lorry driving can be fun and also rewarding. With the opportunity to drive nationwide and internationally, lorry driving provides many opportunities. LGV drivers are employed to drive goods in commercial vehicles from one destination to another, usually from supplier to customer. They drive all kinds of vehicles, including rigid trucks, articulated vehicles and trucks pulling trailers. They are responsible for the security of the load and are ultimately responsible for ensuring deliveries are made at the right place and on time. And in many cases drivers will be the main point of contact with customers. To be a lorry driver, you should have an interest in and enjoy driving, have good practical skills, be content to work alone and be able to concentrate for long periods. Patience and a sense of humour and a positive attitude towards other road users is important. While no formal qualifications are required for driving a truck the driver should be able to deal with the various paperwork associated with the job. But since September 2009, truck drivers are now obliged to undertake driver compulsory CPC training to update their skills on an annual basis. However, with the increase of logistic companies who store and hold suppliers goods, the starting point can be from there. However, with all the benefits from the freedom of lorry driving there can be complications with the driver s health. According to a study in the Journal of the American Deictic Association 86pc of the estimated 3.2million truck drivers in the US are overweight or obese. Within a highly sedentary environment, about 80pc of lorry drivers have unhealthy eating patterns as a result of poor food choices, only 85pc exercise regularly because fitness resources are few and far in-between. About 85pc are overweight or obese and 44pc are hypertensive and many suffer from high cholesterol levels, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Lorry drivers are classified as one of the highest occupational segments due to their elevated occupational hazards. They are deprived of those organisational/institutional supports critical to personal health e.g. lack of healthy food choices, and obesity risk and public safety e.g. links between elevated body mass index (BMI), stress, fatigue, sleep apnoea, and the risk of increased accident/crashes. 1 In light of the increasing concerns about truck drivers health and wellbeing, the first ever international conference on Commercial Driver Health and Wellness was held in 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The theme and objectives included: Identifying the most serious health risk faced by commercial drivers, their companies and their families. Highlighting the issues employers faced in establishing health and wellness programmes for their employees (especially drivers) and their families. Will document what is known about costs, benefits and return in investment of implementing driver health and wellness programmes with the goal of providing concrete, take-away programmes. by commercial drivers Lorry drivers work about twelve hours a day under stringent conditions and often find meagre resources at various work settings, but particularly at service stops. Vending machines are convenient, located in various settings and contribute significantly to lorry drivers nutritional intake. 1 Apostolopoulos et al (2011) Barriers to Truck Drivers Healthy Eating: Environmental Influences and Health Promotion Strategies. Journal of Workplace Behavioural Health. 26:2,

3 Their offerings include a variety of snacks that drivers can use to tide them over their long workdays sometimes reaching 12 hours (or more) until they can stop for a hot meal be it at home, a lorry service area or a fast food restaurant. According to an article in the New York Times, healthy driving is a growing concern, since the life expectancy of truck drivers is shorter than the average American of just over 78 years. Based on information by the Healthy Trucking Association of America, truckers have a life expectancy of less than 60 years. This is a startling statistic and should prompt all truckers to adopt a healthier lifestyle. There are many jobs that come with their own occupational hazards, and being a truck driver is no exception. Sitting behind the wheel for long periods, eating and sleeping away from home and even lack of sleep can all take their toll on the driver s health and wellbeing? Truck driving is a sedentary job and the associated health risks are becoming overweight and eventually obese. Obesity has several potential health consequences including: diabetes, heart disease, asthma, cancer and sleep apnoea. Staying healthy on the road is not impossible, although it takes some work. After a long day s driving, it s easier to pick up some fast food or greasy food and settle down for the night, but are the long term consequences considered. Healthy balanced eating is vitally important for the lorry driver for many reasons. It can lower your risk for disease e.g. heart disease and stroke, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and osteoporosis. Treat your body like a Mercedes or a Porsche, you re not going to put the cheapest fuel into either of these vehicles. Healthy eating provides nutrients for your body. The essential nutrients are: carbohydrates, protein, fat, water, vitamins and minerals. Carbohydrates provide your body with energy. There are several places you can get your carbs from, these foods includes: grains, cereal, pasta, milk, nuts and sugar. Protein helps build new tissues, to keep hair, skin and eyesight healthy, they build antibodies, enzymes, hormones and other compounds to provide fuel for our bodies. Fats there are two types saturated and unsaturated. Saturated fats provide energy and triggers production of LDL cholesterol (bad type). Unsaturated fats will provide the body with energy, but trigger more HDL (good type) and less LDL. Most of the fat you eat should come from unsaturated sources polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats. In general, nuts, vegetable oil, canola oil, olive oil, sunflower oil avocado and high oleic sunflower oil. Polyunsaturated fats soya bean, corn oil. Safflower oil, walnuts, flaxseed, fish, trout and salmon. Water carries nutrients and removes waste, dissolves amino acid, glucose and minerals and clears the body by removing toxins and regulated body temperature. Vitamins facilitate the use of other nutrients to regulate growth, maintain tissue and manufacture blood cells, hormones and other body components. Minerals build bones and teeth and aid in muscle function and nervous system activity. They assist in various body functions including growth and energy production. Driver Fatigue The early hours of the morning and the middle of the afternoon are the peak times for fatigue accidents. Also, long journeys on monotonous roads, such as motorways are the most likely to result in a driver falling asleep. Tiredness and fatigue can often affect your ability long before you even notice you re getting tired. 2

4 Fatigue related crashes are often more severe than other crashes because drivers reaction times are delayed or they have failed to take any evasive action to avoid the crash. Symptoms of fatigue include: heavy eyelids, frequent yawning, unable to keep your head up, drifting over the centre line in the road, misjudging traffic situations, feeling fidgety, irritable and daydreaming. Recent international research has suggested that driver fatigue is underrepresented in accident statistics, and some estimates show that it could be a contributing factor in 20 24pc of accidents. A study conducted in the Adelaide Centre for Sleep Research shows that drivers who have been awake for 24 hours have an equivalent driving performance to a person who has a BAC level of 0.19/100ml, and is seven times more likely to have an accident. In the UK, almost 45,000 people are killed or seriously injured in road crashes every year. Road safety experts consider driver fatigue as a major cause. Driver fatigue is shown to account for more than 20pc of traffic accidents in the UK. In New Zealand in 1997, a study of 370 heavy motor vehicle crashes has shown that driver fatigue was listed as a contributing in 7pc of accidents. And in an investigation carried out by insurance companies in Germany, fatigue was responsible for one in four fatal motorway accidents. Another study in Bavaria estimated that 35pc of fatal motorway crashes were due to reduced vigilance driver inattention and fatigue. To help prevent the onset of fatigue, stop frequently, give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination (not always possible), schedule in regular breaks. Lorry drivers are now legally obliged to take a break of 45 minutes after four and a half hours driving. However, a break after about two hours is more desirable. If possible, share the driving and try to avoid driving when you normally sleep. Drivers are advised to take a caffeine or cola drink, but the benefits to alertness from these are short-lived. Drink water, eat fruit and healthy snacks rather than fatty or sugary foods. If you are taking medication, check with your doctor or pharmacist to see whether it causes drowsiness. Use air conditioning to keep you alert however, if you are really tired this will not prevent you from nodding off. Also, ensure that you make the necessary adjustments to your seating, steering and that you are able to reach all other controls easily and comfortably. Driver Stress Many people would find it difficult to define stress. Stress is nothing but a normal physiological response of the body to situations or stimulus which are perceived as dangerous to the body. Stress can affect anyone at any time in some point of their lives. Stress can be brought about by problems through work, home, financial, marital and other causes. Where stress occurs regularly or a person is regularly stressed it causes harm to your body. Stress can affect anyone from children to adolescents to adults. Women are affected twice more than men. Studies show that stress is responsible for 70pc of visits to doctors and is the reason for 85pc of nervous illnesses. A little bit of stress can be helpful in motivating you or helping you accomplish things that you need to get done however, too much stress in your life from your social or physical environment can be harmful. Stress can have an adverse effect on our bodies. It can cause chronic fatigue, high blood pressure, stroke, weaken the immune system, worsen asthma attacks and also increase the risk of heart disease. Many things can cause stress including a threat, career change, danger, good/bad news, sickness, death of a beloved one and of course driving, especially long hours by lorry drivers. Some of the psychological or emotional symptoms of stress include anger, worry, irritability, depression. 3

5 Physical symptoms may be headaches or migraines, digestive problems, breathlessness, high blood pressure, back pain. Severe stress can cause heart disease and serious mental health issues. Lorry driving is associated with freedom and adventure and the job is appreciated for the autonomy it gives. However, driving is one of the most intensively causing stress activities. Stress is caused by change. If you isolate yourself from the surrounding environment you will dramatically reduce stress factors in your life. Any single second you are behind the wheel you are exposed to unbelievably fast changing circumstances. In addition, you are supposed to take into consideration all of them to avoid accidents, which in the worst case scenario can turn driving into a death causing activity. It s important to manage stress effectively in order to lead to a healthy life and face daily challenges without being overwhelmed. To combat the effects of stress, it s important to become involved in stress management techniques. Consider participating in sports, take regular exercise or even practice yoga an active physical life is a great stress buster. By maintaining an active social life staying in touch with friends and relatives, can equally help in dissipating stress. Meditation and imagery 2 can also be effective tools in controlling or reducing stress. At the end of the day, professional help may be necessary counselling and professional psychiatric help can be an option for those suffering from severe stress symptoms. Conclusion There are many jobs that come with their own occupational hazards and being a truck driver is no exception. Sitting behind the wheel for long hours, eating and sleeping away from home and even lack of sleep can all take their toll on the driver s health and wellbeing? Starting a healthy routine when away from home will pose a challenge and be a big change for many lorry drivers. Truck drivers often eat compulsively, using the process of eating as a way to stay alert and in control while driving. Making healthy choices ultimately rests with the driver. Drivers need to support each other in making those choices for better health, even if it starts with just getting outside the lorry and walking around. Truck drivers would be well advised to have a regular health check in order to nip any problems in the bud. Should truck driver training include healthy lifestyle choices? Perhaps, there are some trainers that incorporate this into their training already. The time is ripe for multi-stakeholder health promotion actions that simultaneously target the plethora of intertwined risk factors that are associated with lorry driving occupations. The likelihood of the many above mentioned health problems developing is realistic. If drivers want to stay healthy and live longer then they have important lifestyle choices to make in order to: Stop Your Job From Killing You. 2 During a quiet moment imagine you are in your favourite place e.g. away from it all on a nice sandy beach, blue seas, lovely sunshine and a cool tequila at your side etc. 4

FLEET SAFETY. Driver health and fitness

FLEET SAFETY. Driver health and fitness FLEET SAFETY Driver health and fitness Welcome Welcome to Fleet Safety online training. This module examines driver health and fitness. This module will take 15 minutes to complete. Fleet safety quiz At