Bus Driver Occupational Health and Ergonomic Evaluation in UK

Introduction and Background

Bus drivers endure a multitude of work-related health issues due to the nature of their work. They drive consistently long hours, must remain alert to potential accidents, and do not receive high pay. This can lead to higher-than-normal employee turnover rates, which in turn results in a lower quality of service for customers. Researchers have aimed at identifying the specific work-related health problems that plague bus drivers.

Research shows bus drivers often suffer from high blood pressure and musculoskeletal pain in the form of neck and lower back pain. This may be due to constant vibration while driving and poorly designed seats and bus driver cabins. Another potential cause for these illnesses is the constant stress of the job. Bus drivers cite the risk of potentially aggressive passengers and bad weather conditions as major stressors.

This dissertation aims to show, through interviews with bus drivers and managers and a supporting literature review, how driving long hours can be detrimental to the health of a bus driver, and how ergonomic evaluation may help ease the burden bus drivers face every day during long driving shifts. The results of the interviews and the literature review revealed several determinants of stress and occupational hazards for bus drivers — from low pay to bad weather conditions. Bus drivers must also contend with poorly designed seats and bus driver cabins that contribute to low back pain and early departure from their jobs.

Ergonomic evaluation is one means by which the UK and Europe can improve the occupational health and safety of bus drivers. By improving seat design and restricting the placement of bus stops, meaningful steps can be taken to improve the work environment for bus drivers in the UK and Europe. This is a qualitative study that used the answers of nine bus drivers and three bus managers to understand the overall picture of bus driver occupational hazards.

Background

Chronic health problems arise from a multitude of causes. When they are work-related, they can be difficult to prevent. Bus drivers experience work-related illness at a higher rate than workers in virtually any other occupation or industry (ATU, 2016). Work-related illnesses can stem from contracting common diseases due to the close proximity of numerous strangers entering the bus each day. Bus drivers may also become chronically ill due to the position they are seated in for hours at a time. Job-related hazards from bus driving contribute to a 120% above-average rate for chronic illnesses (ATU, 2016). When research identified the epidemic of work-related illnesses in bus drivers, some researchers began to identify ways to prevent and combat the problem. The first step was ergonomic evaluation.

Ergonomic Evaluation

Bus driving can be a difficult activity to sustain over time. Bus drivers often experience lower back pain and pain in the ankles, neck, and knees from their prolonged seated position (Tranchard, 2012). It is a demanding job, and bus drivers in the UK and Europe require the development of comfortable seating through ergonomic evaluation in order to successfully endure long driving hours. Ergonomic evaluation, also termed workstation assessment, ensures that a bus driver's workstation is ergonomically designed to maximize productivity and lessen the risk of injury (Patchong, 2014). Such assessments are also performed to support a reduction in employee turnover rates that rise due to work-related injuries.

Ergonomic evaluation considers driver fatigue, comprising both cognitive and physical components. "Physical fatigue is related to perceptual-motor adjustments specific to the driver task and to discomfort caused by prolonged sitting. Cognitive fatigue can be subdivided into task-related and sleep-related fatigue" (Vink, 2014, p. 522). While possible countermeasures to physical fatigue include passive and active micro-movements along with stimulation of macro-movements, sleep-related fatigue within the cognitive fatigue area is known to be intervention-resistant (Vink, 2014). This means ergonomic evaluation should aim primarily at the elimination of physical fatigue.

Fatigue symptoms are a common occurrence for bus drivers throughout the world, and particularly in the UK and Europe. A recent study examined the effects of bus driving for prolonged periods of time along with overall job quality compared to coach drivers. The researchers noted the multitude of health problems bus drivers experience due to their long work hours in a seated position. "…the risk of heart disease for bus drivers [is] twice that of their conductor colleagues. They also suffer gastrointestinal disorders, musculoskeletal problems and poor mental health" (Williamson et al., 2013, p. 189). The study also stated that bus drivers endure high amounts of fatigue, stress, and low job satisfaction, and cited the European Working Condition Survey as considering bus driving in Europe to be the worst occupation in terms of working conditions, working hours, and potential risks of physical violence.

Occupational Stress and Stress Prevention

Bus drivers go through many challenges when performing their duties. They encounter violent outbursts from customers (Williamson et al., 2013), back problems, and other health problems — all of which contribute to a high employee turnover rate (Lannoo and Verhofstadt, 2016). The high turnover rate is due to high demands (making it to each bus stop on time, dealing with traffic), low support (limited ergonomic design for seats, no structured provision for exercise or physical therapy), and low control (limited ability to choose shifts or to determine how job demands are met) (Lannoo and Verhofstadt, 2016). Because occupational stress in bus drivers is so consistently reported, it can no longer be considered an infrequent occurrence. Occupational stress in bus drivers is a wide-ranging phenomenon both in the UK and throughout Europe (Patchong, 2014). Therefore, exploration of measures that can improve and prevent occupational stress for bus drivers is necessary, and one such potential solution is ergonomic evaluation of seating and driver positioning.

Bus drivers endure physical fatigue and stress, creating potential occupational hazards and safety concerns due to the nature of their work. They work long hours, typically in the same position for hours at a time (Arezes et al., 2013). When they drive, they must also deal with difficult access to their bus cabins due to engine placement and old seating that has not been ergonomically designed. "…it was observed that the bus cabins of all companies surveyed did not allow easy access due to the presence of the vehicle engine. The height and distance from the steering wheel did not allow the driver a good posture" (Arezes et al., 2013, p. 602). When seating is not ergonomically designed, it creates potential problems for the bus driver's posture, back, and limbs.

This dissertation provides an analysis of what potential solutions ergonomic evaluation offers bus drivers and what current problems bus drivers face while working long hours. This is a qualitative study that highlights responses from 12 participants — nine bus drivers and three managers — from three different bus companies in the United Kingdom. The interviews provide the basis from which to understand how beneficial ergonomic evaluation is to the occupational health and safety of bus drivers. The literature provides supplementary information that allows for proper understanding and analysis of the problem and its potential solutions.

Problem Statement: The occupation of bus driver carries the potential for several health problems, stemming primarily from long work hours and uncomfortable seating. Preventative measures must be taken to reduce bus driver turnover rates and increase comfort for on-duty bus drivers. The focus of this qualitative study is on ergonomic evaluation and the ways in which it can improve bus driver occupational health and safety. Given the growing evidence of work-related illnesses for bus drivers, ergonomic evaluation may become a standard practice capable of minimizing the risk of physical fatigue and occupational hazards for bus drivers in the UK and Europe.

Although some bus companies in the UK and Europe have included ergonomic evaluation in their repertoire of preventative measures, evidence still shows work-related health problems remaining as the primary concern for bus drivers, alongside persistently high employee turnover (Musson, 2013). This may be due to a failure to establish consistent standards or practice, or improper adherence to existing policy. If the issue of occupational health and safety remains without adequate solutions, it could lead to continued work grievances and work-related diseases for bus drivers.

Research Questions:

• Can ergonomic assessment lead to effective preventative measures for bus drivers during long shifts?
• What does ergonomic evaluation of bus cabins entail?
• How is physical fatigue and stress lessened through the implementation of ergonomic evaluation?
• What standards do bus companies implement in relation to ergonomic evaluation?
• If bus companies in the UK and Europe have already implemented ergonomic evaluation, has that implementation improved bus driver health outcomes?

Significance of the Problem: High employee turnover and increased health problems associated with bus driving are important issues to combat and prevent. Because employee turnover for bus drivers remains so high, bus companies do not retain effective and experienced drivers. Less experienced drivers are linked to higher rates of fatal vehicle accidents (Scenario Committee on Accidents and Traumatology, 2012). Without the necessary standards and strategies to minimize bus driver turnover, bus companies could face continual instability, resulting in lower quality service for customers and decreased profits.

The various health problems that bus drivers experience on an ongoing basis — including high blood pressure, obesity, and back and neck problems (Committee, 2012) — add to high employee turnover and reduce the quality of driving and service that customers experience. If bus drivers receive training to combat physical fatigue brought on by long hours of driving, and are provided a cabin that is ergonomically designed, this may help combat the chronic physical ailments that plague bus drivers in the UK and Europe, while also leading to higher quality service, greater customer satisfaction, and increased profits for bus companies.