Stress Prevention For Drivers
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A large number of studies have been carried out on the work and health of
bus drivers, particularly those operating in metropolitan areas. These
studies tend to yield very comparable results, showing that the job of a bus
driver makes high demands, yet offers only low control and low support. This
combination spells stress and, consequently, an increased risk of physical
and mental occupational ill health, leading to absenteeism and to decreased
productivity of employees and enterprises.
The demands made on bus drivers studies show that absenteeism among bus drivers for reasons of sickness is significantly higher than in other comparable professional groups. Bus drivers who have to leave their jobs for medical reasons do so on average at a younger age than most comparable groups of employees. The main health problems which they suffer relate to the back, tendons and joints, as well as mental disorders and cardiovascular diseases.
The task of a bus driver is mentally demanding because it involves having to
cope with conflicting demands. The company and the public want the driver to
maintain good contact with passengers and to be service-oriented, for
example through the provision of information to passengers on timetables,
routes, stops, fares, etc. However, the need to provide service to
individual passengers often conflicts with the requirement to keep to a
tight schedule in dense traffic. A further demand, which may conflict with
the previous two, is the need to drive safely according to traffic
regulations and conditions.
A bus driver’s cabin is subject to several constraints, and the seat often
lacks sufficient adjustability. Moreover, it is becoming more and more
common for transport personnel of all types to be subject to threats and
violence from disorderly and troublesome passengers. Work schedules are
another major source of stress. Bus drivers often have to work on shifts,
and even on split shifts, while their days off may be irregular and may not
coincide with those of their families.
Based on practical examples, the manual contains a series of recommendations
on how to prevent and combat work stress among bus drivers. It points out
that stress management has traditionally focused on individual approaches,
usually by counseling individuals or small groups of employees on ways to
adapt to, or cope with various occupational stressors and/or their
consequences. However, it goes on to emphasize the importance of combining
this approach with measures to adjust the work environment to the abilities
and needs of workers, through a better person-environment fit. The
recommendations and suggestions cover several main areas:
• ergonomics of the driver’s cabin, with
particular reference to the position and adjustment of the seat, steering
wheel and pedals, the visibility and marking of the dashboard, the
adaptation of the working space to both large and small drivers and the
provision of adequate training, especially where new bus models are
introduced. One recommendation, directed in particular at bus companies in
developing countries, where the use of older buses may be common, is for the
periodical maintenance of buses, with the timely repair and replacement of
used parts.
• timetables, shift schedules and the quality of break periods: in addition
to the limitation of weekly and daily working hours, the frequency of breaks
and adequate periods of rest between working days, the main recommendations
are: the organization of work for several consecutive days on the same shift
(rather than changing shifts every day), combined with the forward rotation
of shifts (early shift. followed by day shift, followed by late shift); the
avoidance of split shifts (which means, for example, not requiring drivers
to work a few hours in the early morning, followed by several hours in the
evening); regular assignments rather than day-to-day assignments; and the
organization of two days off, rather than single days off, between blocks of
working days.
• social work environment and management style: the main recommendations in
this area include the division of driving staff into a number of groups (of
between ten and 20 drivers) with a supervisor and system of work
consultation for each group. Supervisors and management should be trained in
a supportive style of leadership, which should include a proper information
flow and clear explanations as to why certain things are or are not
possible. Possibilities should be provided for training and retraining, and
special facilities should be provided for older drivers and drivers with
health problems, including rehabilitation and individual work resumption
plans for drivers returning to work following health problems. Examples are
also provided of how to prevent problems related to threats and violence