ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Falls are one of the leading causes of injuries to truck drivers, accounting for 20-25% of the work-related injuries in the trucking industry, with an average compensation cost of $36,000 per claim. The common incident types are truck drivers slipping or falling during ingress or egress of a truck cab or trailer. This chapter discusses the multifaceted risk factors and prevention approaches for fall injuries with a focus on truck-step
CONTENTS
17.1 Fall Incidents in Commercial Trucking Industry ......................................................... 292 17.1.1 Prevalence of Fall Injuries..................................................................................... 292 17.1.2 Characteristics of Fall Injuries ............................................................................. 292
17.2 Risk Factors for Fall Injuries ............................................................................................. 293 17.2.1 Ground Reaction Force ......................................................................................... 293 17.2.2 Ingress-Egress System Configurations .............................................................. 293
17.2.2.1 Step Configurations ................................................................................ 293 17.2.2.2 Handhold Configurations ...................................................................... 294
17.2.3 Ingress-Egress Tactics ........................................................................................... 295 17.2.3.1 Inward-versus Outward-Facing Egress .............................................. 295 17.2.3.2 Ingress-Egress Motion Kinematics and Dynamics ........................... 296
17.2.4 Anthropometric Characteristics of Truck Drivers ............................................ 298 17.2.5 Environmental Factors .......................................................................................... 298
17.3 Practice and Control: Strategies to Reduce Fall Injuries .............................................. 299 17.3.1 Improve Ingress-Egress System Design ............................................................ 299
17.3.1.1 Steps .......................................................................................................... 299 17.3.1.2 Handholds ................................................................................................300 17.3.1.3 Standards and Design Guidelines ........................................................ 301
17.3.2 System Assessment ................................................................................................302 17.3.2.1 Virtual Assessments ...............................................................................302 17.3.2.2 Driver Assessments ................................................................................302
