Abstract
Injuries resulting from exiting trucks represent a substantial cost to businesses who operate these equipment. Many vehicles have aids to assist the driver in safely entering/exiting the vehicle. Nevertheless, many drivers do not use these aids. The purpose of this study was to quantify impact forces experienced during various truck exit methods. The study investigated impact forces of ten male subjects while exiting two tractors and a step-van. The results showed that jumping from cab-level resulted in impact forces as high as 12 times subject body weight; whereas, fully utilizing the steps and grab-rails kept the impact forces under two times body weight. Using the grab-rail during exiting the step-van resulted in over 40% reduction in impact force. An approach that emphasizes optimal design of entry/exit aids, coupled with driver training of proper use of these aids and education on the potential risks is expected to minimize vehicle-related musculoskeletal injuries.
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