How Retractable Steps Can Help Reduce a Truck Driver's Risk of Falling
Driving a truck can be a very financially successful position for the right person. However, those who drive trucks often end up gaining weight and losing some mobility as a result. Fall injuries caused by this lack of mobility could seriously impact their career and their health. Thankfully, truck steps can help manage this problem.
Truck Drivers Often Suffer From Difficult Physical Problems
Truck drivers suffer from a variety of hidden dangers that may not be openly discussed when they take their position. For example, truck drivers are often sitting in their rig for hours at a time, rarely getting the kind of exercise they need to be healthy. They may also be snacking and eating unhealthy food, gaining weight and impacting their physical fitness.
Unfortunately, that weight gain can also contribute to back pain caused by sitting for extended periods of time. All of these physical demands can decrease a truck driver's mobility and ability to climb into their rig. As a result, they may find themselves slipping and even falling from their rig.
Falling off a Truck Is a Real Possibility
While falls aren't among the most common dangers that impact drivers, they still occur from time to time. For example, in 2015, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 28 truck driver fatalities were caused by falls, slips, or trips. This accounted for four percent of all fatalities in that field. However, it is likely that even more truck falls are occurring that aren't reported due to a lack of fatal results.
These falls, which may be caused by a truck driver's lack of mobility, can cause bumps, bruises, sprained ankles, broken bones, and even concussions or damage to the head. Preventing these problems is crucial to maintaining a successful trucking career. This is where retractable truck steps come into play.
Retractable Truck Steps Can Help
Retractable truck steps pull out from a truck and provide the driver with a handy way of climbing up a difficult and steep area. The handles that come with these steps also make it possible to steady oneself and stay balanced. As a result, drivers who have sore backs or who's weight gain has impacted their mobility can avoid fall injuries.
While all truck drivers who have gained excessive weight should try to lose it, retractable steps can be useful until they do. In fact, they can even be a great safety guide after they have lost weight. Fall injuries are usually at the back of a driver's mind and retractable steps can help avoid this potentially serious problem.