Project Aims to Reduce Health Risk of Lorry Driving

When you think about the risks associated with the lorry driving job, what comes to mind? For many of us, first thoughts relate to things such as weather conditions and traffic. Yet some hazards are not so obvious; hazards like obesity and heart disease. Believe it or not, lorry drivers are much more likely than workers in most other occupations to fall victim to these hazards. Now, a project just under way in Kent hopes to reduce the risk drivers face.

The year-long project involves a local charity known as the Healthy Living Centre Dartford. The charity has received a £5,000 award from Heart Research UK to fund what organisers are calling the ‘HGV MOT’ over the next 12 months. They hope that lorry drivers in Kent will take full advantage of the programme to learn about obesity, heart disease, and strategies they can employ to regain and maintain good health. Organisers hope to attract as many as 230 drivers as programme participants.

The Need Is Real

Although 230 drivers represent but a drop in the vast ocean that is the lorry driving career, the programme is a start. There is a very real need within the professional driving sector for better education and proactive strategies to improve driver health. According to Kent Online, statistics show that 88% of lorry drivers suffer from high blood pressure and smoking-related problems. Furthermore, lorry drivers are twice as likely as the general population to be obese.

The combination of excess weight, high blood pressure, a sedentary lifestyle, and a greater tendency to smoke all add up to higher risks of heart disease and other serious medical problems. Officials with the HGV MOT project believe the best way to combat these problems is through education. To that end, programme participants will receive a health check-up with an emphasis on blood pressure, heart rate, and body mass index.

Participants will also be educated on a variety of topics including incorporating daily exercise and developing good nutrition and eating habits. Drivers will be able to utilise follow-up visits throughout the year-long programme to see how they are doing.

Healthy Drivers Are Safe Drivers

We are fully in favour of the Kent programme and the HGV MOT concept overall. Why? Because we know that healthy drivers are safe drivers. The lorry driving career already has enough challenges without drivers having to worry about problems like obesity and high blood pressure. We certainly don’t want to see drivers fall victim to heart disease that could cause premature death.

The more we can do to educate drivers about good health, the better we can make the lorry driving career for new drivers just getting started. That is a good thing from every possible perspective.

If you have been thinking of a career in lorry driving, we encourage you to contact us at the HGV Training Centre. We can answer all your questions about class schedules, locations and pricing.

Sources:

Kent Online – https://www.kentonline.co.uk/dartford/news/drive-to-cut-heart-disease-95478/