Lessons Learned:
Driver Safety: It’s More Than Driving Safely

By Frederick C. Clark, ARM
Vice President

Driver safety means freedom from injury, illness and exposure to unreasonable risk to the driver, coworkers, the community and the public. When you think about driver risks, driving safety, vehicle safety, injury prevention and environmental considerations no doubt come to mind. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations will also come to mind, particularly if driver safety is associated with a commercial fleet. However, how many of us would immediately associate personnel safety with driver safety?

Personnel safety is the “safety” of the “other” job the driver is doing besides driving. Rarely is the driver’s job just to get in a vehicle and go. If the driver’s job is centered on pick-up and delivery, his/her job may be involved with potentially hazardous activities such as preparing cargo, loading and unloading vehicles, responding to spills and performing various other duties at customer locations. The challenge then becomes how should such safety be properly managed?

The Occupational Safety and Health Act provides an excellent starting point for an effective personnel safety management system. Not only is it the LAW, but it also makes sound business sense.

Hazard Communication
The Hazard Communication regulation requires that drivers who may come into contact with potentially hazardous materials must be informed of the hazards of such materials. To accomplish this, the regulation requires:

• Identification of piping, equipment, vessels, and containers and labeling with appropriate warnings and precautions.
• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for all hazardous materials that may be handled.
• MSDS that are accessible to the drivers.
• Training drivers in the potential health effects of materials to which they may be exposed.
• Taking appropriate precautionary measures to protect the driver from adverse health effects and provide instruction in what to do in an emergency.

These steps are your responsibility as an employer, even if your driver is working on someone else’s property.

Hazard Evaluation
A number of programs require the employer to evaluate the driver’s “work area” for potential hazards. This hazard evaluation may be as complex as Industrial Hygiene (IH) monitoring for vapors, gases, dust, noise or environmental factors that could cause adverse health effects to the driver, or as simple as identifying potential slip, trip or fall hazards.

A common exposure in many drivers’ work areas is noise above 85 decibels. Truck cab noise or noises associated with pumping or transferring product are examples of tasks with the potential for excessive noise exposure (above 85 decibels). IH monitoring by a qualified professional can identify exposures and put procedures in place before the driver’s health is adversely affected.

The following nine areas may require a formal evaluation or program:

Powered Industrial Truck (PIT)
If your drivers use a PIT (i.e. fork truck) to load or unload, then they need to be trained and evaluated prior to operating such equipment.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Most driving jobs require some form of PPE. It may be as simple as a hard hat and safety glasses or as complex as flame retardant clothing or respirators.

Lockout Tagout (LOTO)
Drivers are often exposed to stored energy. This stored energy may be hydraulic, mechanical, electrical or pneumatic. PTO, power take off, units, hydraulic supported lifts or caged springs are all examples of stored energy that may challenge a driver. If the driver is required to perform maintenance work or make adjustments to such equipment, a hazardous energy control program may be required.

Confined Space Entry
Many pickup and delivery sites a driver visits have potential confined space hazards. A sudden or gradual build-up or release of vapor, gas or powder could asphyxiate or poison a driver.

Electrical Safety
A driver seldom works directly with electricity; however, he or she may be in an area where someone else is working with electricity. To protect themselves from this exposure, drivers should have basic training in recognizing and avoiding common electrical hazards.

Fall Protection
A major cause of driver injury is falls. Each aspect of a driver’s job should be evaluated for potential fall hazards. An action plan should be developed for preventative action.

Fire Protection
If a driver handles or delivers flammable material, proper handling precautions, including grounding and bonding procedures, should be implemented.

Ergonomic Proposal
OSHA has proposed a standard for evaluating and controlling workers’ exposure to cumulative trauma disorders. If these exposures are suspected, the employer should have a safety specialist perform ergonomic evaluations.

Bloodborne Pathogens
Drivers who handle medical waste require special training to protect them from bloodborne pathogens. If a hazard analysis identifies this exposure, the employer should include specialized instruction in the driver orientation training.

XL Environmental Can Help
As an employer, you have an obligation to review the driver’s work area for potential hazards and to implement safe practices to protect his or her health and safety. Xl Environmental’s Risk Control Division is available to assist you in performing hazard evaluations and in implementing any corrective action plans. Call us at 800-327-1414.

Frederick Clark has a BS degree in Chemistry and over 30 years of experience in the safety, health and environmental field. He has gained expertise in many aspects of personal and fleet safety and loss control management. He serves the fleet safety needs and distribution-related needs of clients by providing training, assessments, risk analyses, and other loss prevention programs.

XL Environmental • Risk Control Division • 520 Eagleview Boulevard, PO Box 636, Exton, PA 19341 • Phone: 800-327-1414 • Fax: 610-458-7285 • xlenvironmental.com

XL Environmental is a division of XL Specialty Insurance Company.