| Trucking Initiative |  | |
Safety & Health Assessment & Research for Prevention (SHARP) — Research for Safe Work
What is SHARP's Trucking Initiative?
The SHARP program at L&I is conducting in-depth occupational safety and health work in the Washington State trucking industry to identify work environments that put trucking workers at increased risk of injury. The Trucking Injury Reduction Emphasis (TIRES) project will identify potential risk factors for worker injury, and work with the industry to formulate and disseminate prevention strategies to those who could intervene in the workplace.
The goal of the TIRES project is to reduce the incidence of:
- Non-traumatic musculoskeletal disorders.
- Slips, trips and falls.
- "Struck by" and "caught in" injuries.
These conditions comprise almost 90% of the industry's workers' compensation claims, costs and lost workdays.
See the TIRES publications that were developed by SHARP's TIRES Initiative.
The TIRES project is supported in part by federal funding from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). SHARP project staff comprises an interdisciplinary team with experts in safety, ergonomics, organizational psychology, medicine, public health practice and epidemiology.
SHARP has defined systematic data collection methods as part of this project, which include detailed analysis of injury data, interviews of injured workers, site visits, and "ride-alongs" with truck drivers in different sectors of the industry.
What is SHARP doing?
Project direction and products will be reviewed by an industry oversight committee to ensure useful information is developed for trucking companies and employees. A publication called TIRESPIN will be published from the fall of 2006 through 2010 and will provide project updates and prevention information to the industry.
Specific TIRES activities for 2006 through 2010:
- Build and maintain partnerships with representatives from both management and labor within the trucking industry.
- Maintain the web site KeepTruckingSafe.org for additional safety resources available to the trucking industry.
- Publish technical reports describing injuries, trends and costs within the trucking industry by sector through analysis of state workers' compensation data.
- Conduct case follow-up interviews with injured workers to identify risk factors and solutions for the priority conditions.
- Conduct industry-wide surveys of both employers and employees to identify hazards and risk factors for the priority conditions, needs and possible solutions based on company type and size.
- Develop and promote the use of educational materials and other interventions to reduce hazards and injuries within trucking.
- Disseminate findings and information to people within the Washington trucking industry who can work to reduce injuries.
Injury prevention material
Information learned through data analyses, telephone case follow-up interviews, onsite visits, employer and employee surveys, and other follow-up activities will be used to identify root causes that can be addressed to prevent injuries. Educational materials created as a result of surveillance activities will be developed and pilot tested with stakeholders.
SHARP is working with trucking industry stakeholders to identify opportunities for the use of educational materials and other interventions to reduce hazardous exposures and the occurrence of these injuries.
SHARP develops materials for the trucking industry to use for injury prevention. Documents available for downloading are listed in the below table.
| TIRES publications | |
|---|---|
| Number | Title/Description |
| 90-18-2008 | New Why Invest in Powered Dock Levelers? (Tip Sheet) (168 KB PDF). |
| 90-18a-2008 | New Some deliveries can be a real pain! (True Story) (190 KB PDF). |
| 90-17-2008 | New Preventing Injuries in the Trucking Industry, Focus Report 1997 - 2005 (993 KB PDF / 6 min). |
| 90-16-2008 | New Can you afford to live on 60 percent of your salary for the next 6 weeks? (True Story) (200 KB PDF). |
| 90-16a-2008 | New Why is Mike Smiling? (poster) (141 KB PDF). |
| 90-15-2008 | New Recurring Pain Can Lead to Disabling Injuries (Tip Sheet) (162 KB PDF). |
| 90-15a-2008 | New What a Trucker Needs to Know About CTS (Dollars & Sense) (157 KB PDF). |
| 90-14-2007 | New Tirespin Newsletter, Spring 2008 (723 KB PDF / 4 min). |
| 90-14a-2007 | New Dem Bones (Poster) (175 KB PDF). |
| 90-13-2008 | New Load Smart - Your driver will thank you (Tip Sheet) (180 KB PDF). |
| 90-13a-2008 | New Safety Programs Increase Productivity (Dollars & Sense) (153 KB PDF). |
| 90-11-2008 | New 80-Pound Box Leads to 8 Days Off Work (True Stories) (163 KB PDF). |
| 90-11a-2008 | New Would he mind? (Poster) (109 KB PDF). |
| 90-10-2007 | New If you have to move it manually - Organize and store heavy objects at a comfortable height (Tip Sheet) (132 KB PDF). |
| 90-10a-2007 | New Safety Programs Reduce Turnover (Dollars & Sense) (114 KB PDF). |
| 90-9-2007 | New Line Truck Driver Hurts Shoulder Lifting Converter Gear (63 KB PDF). |
| 90-9a-2007 | New Days off work due to a back/shoulder injury (poster) (229 KB PDF / 1 min). |
| 90-8-2007 | New Get Help With Heavy or Awkward Loads (71 KB PDF). |
| 90-8a-2007 | New Investing a Little in Safety Can Help Your Bottom Line (56 KB PDF)Cost benefit analysis of investing in safety. |
| 90-6-2007 | Terminal, Yard, and Customer Site Slip, Trip and Fall Injuries to Drivers (52 KB PDF). |
| 90-6a-2007 | Your Safety Gear (poster) (107 KB PDF). Keep a clean truck and loading dock. |
| 90-5-2007 | Tirespin Newsletter, Spring 2007 (110 KB PDF). |
| 90-5a-2007 | Don't Fall For It: Prevent Falls While Securing a Load (poster) (253 KB PDF / 1 min). Worn tools or straps can cause injuries; inspect and replace to prevent injuries. |
| 90-4-2007 | Load Related Fall Injuries to Drivers (50 KB PDF). |
| 90-4a-2007 | Don't Fall for It: Loading and Unloading (poster) (410 KB PDF / 2 min). Prevent falls while loading and unloading. |
| 2006 Employee Survey Results | 2006 Employee Survey Results on Reducing Injuries in the Trucking Industry (104 KB PDF). |
| 90-3-2007 | Tarping Related Fall Injuries to Drivers (54 KB PDF). |
| 90-3a-2007 | Don't Fall for It: Tarp Smart (poster) (531 KB PDF / 3 min).Prevent falls while tarping and untarping loads. |
| 90-2-2007 | Tirespin Newsletter, Winter 2007 (95 KB PDF). |
| 90-2a-2007 | Don't Fall for It: Step Down (poster) (610 KB PDF / 3 min). Use 3 points of contact, don't jump. |
| 90-1-2006 | Delivery Truck driver fatally injured in fall (53 KB PDF). |
| 90-1a-2006 | Don't Fall for It: Loading Docks (poster) (1674 KB PDF / 9 min). "Prevent falls from loading docks." |
| 2005 Employer Survey Results | 2005 Employer Survey Results on Reducing Injuries in the Trucking Industry (122 KB PDF). |
| Volume 1 | TireSpin Newsletter, Summer 2006 (203 KB PDF / 1 min). |
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