Assessment of perceived injury risks and priorities among truck drivers and trucking companies in Washington State.
OBJECTIVE
The trucking industry experiences one of the highest work-related injury rates. Little work has been conducted previously in the United States to assess the hazards, needs, and injury prevention priorities in trucking.


METHODS
Two separate industry-wide surveys of 359 trucking companies and 397 commercial truck drivers were conducted in Washington State.


RESULTS
Trucking companies and drivers both ranked musculoskeletal and slip, trip, fall injuries as the top two priorities. Controlling heavy lifting, using appropriate equipment, and addressing slippery surfaces were frequently listed as solutions. There appears to be a gap in safety climate perception between workers and employers. However, driver and company priorities agreed with industry workers' compensation claims. There is room for safety program management improvement in the industry. The study findings detail opportunities for prioritizing and reducing injuries.


CONCLUSIONS
This information can be used to focus and design interventions for the prevention of work-related injuries while improving industry competitiveness.
Spielholz
Peregrin
P
Sound Transit, 401 South Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98104, USA. peregrin@alumni.washington.edu
Cullen
Jennifer
J
Smith
Caroline
C
Howard
Ninica
N
Silverstein
Barbara
B
Bonauto
David
D
D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000328:Adult; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology*; D003625:Data Collection; D019992:Databases as Topic; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018986:Motor Vehicles; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000592:standards*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D016272:Occupational Health; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017751:Safety Management / Q000592:standards*; D012938:Social Perception; D014861:Washington