Occupational Health and Safety

Acknowledgement

I would take this opportunity to thank my research supervisor, family and associates for their support and guidance without which this study would not have been possible.

DECLARATION

I, [type your full first names and last name here], declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not before been submitted for learned written test towards any qualification. Furthermore, it comprises my own opinions and not inevitably those of the University.

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Executive Summary

Musculoskeletal disorders are one of leading causes of work related ill health and sickness absence. Those drive as part of their job may be at particular risk, with evidence suggesting that prolonged exposure to driving is associated with increased absence from work due to low back pain. Business drivers often work away from a traditional office environment. Such mobile working may pose greater risks to occupational health due to increased ergonomic risks, for example working from the car, longer working hours and a lack of concern amongst drivers about health and safety. It has been suggested that occupational health practices have not adapted to meet the needs of peripatetic workers. The current study explored how occupational health services are delivered to business drivers. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with a sample of 31 stakeholders in 4 organisations. Respondents included, health and safety professionals, occupational health nurses, fleet managers and high mileage business drivers. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using 'Template Analysis'. The data revealed that, within these organisations, the provision of occupational health services was often fragmented and drivers and other key stakeholders were often unaware of the existing systems within their organisations. The peripatetic nature of business drivers meant that they were difficult for occupational health teams to reach. The paper concludes by presenting recommendations for occupational health professionals and researchers engaged with improving the health of peripatetic workers, namely that occupational health policies should be integrated in company strategy and widely disseminated to drivers and those with responsibility for managing their occupational health provision.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION6

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW10

The context of workplace hazards10

Focusing on the physical workplace10

Focusing on people11

Focusing on management issues14

Techniques for dealing with hazards in the workplace15

Safe place strategies16

Safe person strategies18

Safe system strategies20

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY24

Materials and method24

Sampling strategy24

CHAPTER 4: RESULTS29

Managing the occupational health of business drivers29

Monitoring the health of business drivers30

Training30

Risk assessment32

Factors affecting occupational health provision to business drivers34

Organisational factors34

The role of occupational health36

Job related factors37

Individual factors39

CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION41

CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION44

Study limitations46

REFERENCES47

Chapter 1: Introduction

Musculoskeletal disorders are one of the premier determinants of work associated sick health and sickness nonattendance inside in the UK ([HSE, 2008a] and [HSE, 2008b]). Although the connection between work and musculoskeletal disorders is convoluted, there is some clues that those who propel as part of their job may be especially susceptible to back agony (Gyi et al., 2003). The difficulty seems to be cumulative, with those going by car for 20 h or more per week 6 times more probable to be missing from work due to reduced back agony, ...