The Trucking Industry – Why It’s a Major Hazard?

Regardless of the size of the transport business, employers must pay attention to their employees and workplace safety. Workplace incidents not only cost employers both time and money, but also lead to higher OSHA recordables, insurance claims, property damage, and productivity loss. In addition, employers may also deal with workers’ comp claims and legal issues after such reported injury claim events.

Injuries and Fatalities in the Transportation Industry:

Apart from the motor vehicle crashes, the transport industry employees are three times more likely to get injured due to slips, trips, falls, and overexertion. The primary cause of injury among truck drivers and other employees include:

• Heavy lifting
• Getting into and out of a vehicle
• Pushing and pulling a container
• Loading and unloading a truck
• Sprain due to prolonged sitting while driving

Axiom Medical Injury Case Management:

To help employers and employees in the transport industry, Axiom Medical offers injury case management services with immediate injury assessment, following an incident. Our injury case management team also recommends appropriate treatment based on your employee’s conditions.

Our approach focuses on:

• Avoiding or minimizing production lost time
• Lower healthcare spending
• Network healthcare provider oversight
• Maintaining legal compliance
• Minimizing OSHA recordable outcomes

Axiom Medical DOT Physicals:

As per the Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements, employees operating motor vehicles as a part of their job duties must undergo physical exams to obtain or maintain their commercial driving license. Axiom Medical offers DOT physicals for both DOT and non-DOT employees in the transport industry.

Our program ensures:

• Employees are physically fit to accomplish their work
• Employees do not have physical conditions, which could affect driving performance
• Physical examinations performed by licensed FMCSA medical examiners at a healthcare facility
• Review of all exam reports by licensed healthcare practitioners

Our DOT Physical highlights are:

• Annual OSHA Compliance
• Baseline Pre-employment Exams
• HAZWOPER (Hazardous Waste
• Operator Emergency Response) Exams
• PHMSA – Pipeline and Hazardous
• Materials Safety Administration
• FAA – Federal Aviation Administration
• USCG – United States Coast Guard
• FRA – Federal Railroad Administration
• FMCSA – Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Suggestions For Employers in Transportation Industry:

What should employers do to reduce workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities? Employers in the transportation sector may want to create and implement a workplace wellness program to identify and address hazards. Such a program should help with:

• Identifying hazard areas in the workplace
• Providing first aid to employees who experience minor injuries
• Performing mandatory tests and physical exams, as required by the federal government
• Educating employees to avoid workplace hazards
• Risk assessment to keep work areas well-lit, preventing slips, trips, and falls

Partnering with a third-party employee occupational health service provider will help employers develop and implement a strategy-based action plan for workplace and workforce safety.

Transport Industry Employee Absence Management

Both ethics and the law require transportation and trucking employers to establish a protocol to keep their workers safe on the road. From establishing a testing schedule to promptly managing employees’ injuries, everything should be included in your workplace safety and management program. Investing in workplace safety can also create tangible financial gains for employers with a significant reduction in absenteeism. Axiom’s Employee Absence Management (EAM) is designed to address this issue. With low attrition and better productivity, employers will see positive revenue growth in the long run. Plus, a safe workplace improves your employees’ morale.

Axiom Medical Can Help!

Create a safe workplace for your workforce in the transportation business. Partner with Axiom Medical and start by implementing practices focusing on workplace hazard identification and risk mitigation. Some of the main focus of Axiom Medical’s industry-specific program includes accident prevention with employee testing, workplace infection control programs (COVID-19 and other infectious diseases), and employee vaccination. Axiom Medical also offers drug screening services to help companies in the transportation industry with compliance program implementation to reduce workplace risks.

Call us today and let our experts help you!