Lift, Pull, Push
Swift Is Cutting Injury Claims With Physical Abilities Test
Patricia Smith
Senior Editor
At a time when many are predicting a severe driver shortage, Swift Transportation has adopted one more test to its driver screening routine - and rejecting as many as 10% of drivers who are otherwise qualified for the job. A little crazy? Not at all, says Safety Vice President Dennis Ritchie. And they've got numbers to prove it.
Last year Swift began working with Aliso Viejo, Calif., based WorkWell Systems Inc. to develop tests that would measure a driver's ability to perform the physical demands of various truck driving jobs. The ultimate goal was to reduce on-the-job injuries and workers' compensation costs.
Swift estimates that the industry average cost for a workers' comp claim is around $32,000. According to its data, about 64% of new driver injuries occur in the first 12 months on the job; 18% occur in the first three months.
"We get a lot of new drivers who have been working in jobs that were sedentary," Ritchie notes. "They don't realize how physical truck driving can be."
Because equipment and responsibilities aren't the same for every truck driving job, WorkWell developed tests and standards unique to Swift's various operations - dry van, flatbed and, most recently, car hauling. The tests are part of the extensive screening drivers must undergo after the carrier has made a conditional offer of employment. Those who pass all the physical tests are qualified to drive in all Swift operations. Some, however, may be restricted to specific operations.
When Swift started the program, approximately 15-18% of drivers tested couldn't meet the required physical standards. The failure rate is now about 10%. Ritchie speculates that the reduction is because drivers who know or suspect they can't pass the physical test don't bother to apply. In six months new driver injury rates have dropped 30-50%, depending on the time frame and types of injuries measured. Swift now plans to expand WorkWell testing to its driving schools, and is considering testing shop maintenance and tire bay employees.
Screening new employees is only one aspect of the program. Down the road, the company anticipates additional savings in rehabilitation costs. One objective of a well-run workers' compensation program is to get workers back on the job as quickly as possible, but without clear guidelines regarding physical requirements, physicians and physical therapists may set strength and agility goals that are wrong for the job activities involved. To address the problem, WorkWell provides return-to-work programs that include physical testing to accurately match injured workers' abilities to safely perform modified duties.
Testing existing employees can be useful, but must be done with caution. "It's difficult to make it a job requirement after the fact," warns WorkWell Vice President Mike Darkoch. "You can't hire under one set of conditions, and then simply change those conditions."
However, physical testing to help prevent injuries among veteran drivers can be used in a positive way, says Ritchie. "If a driver doesn't have the physical strength he used to have, he's more likely to hurt himself, and nobody wants that. So you could recommend exercises or put him on a conditioning program."
This is the first large-scale truck driver program WorkWell has developed, but the company has nearly 20 years of experience working with a variety of industries. Their evaluation process is designed not only to measure physical requirements, but to find methods and procedures that might help prevent workplace injuries.
"We see all kinds of problems on shop floors," Darkoch notes. "People having to raise heavy objects over their heads. Tools set up so that workers have to hold them away from their bodies for hours on end. Whenever possible, we try to change the work environment or work habits in order to reduce work injuries."
The most common advice for drivers: stretching, he says. "It's a good way to prevent injuries and to counter fatigue."
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