Charlotte Haye 10th January 2018

Why Is Driver Mental Health So Important?

If you employ HGV drivers, the chances are you rely on them quite heavily in your business. Whether you just employ one, a whole fleet, or manage a business providing them, the health and happiness of your drivers should be very important to you. There is no doubt that without these drivers, many industries in our country would collapse. So as an employer, you should be doing all you can to ensure their health stays at 100%. But how can you actively do this?

Physical Health

Physical health is a key touchpoint for the HGV industry and one that most employers are very aware. Long hours behind the wheel can lead to significant spine and neck issues forcing many drivers to retire. This can be anything from a simple chronic backache to spinal disc dehydration, or even acute injuries from the vibrations in the cab. There are also issues around the heavy lifting of cargo and unsafe lifting practices such as jerking, all of which can lead to physical injury. Along with spinal and neck problems, HGV drivers can also experience eye issues due to constant strain, particularly if they are predominantly night drivers. There is also the risk of chronic fatigue, which can impact their ability to drive safely. All of these issues can be addressed with proper training, instruction and preventative healthcare options, which any HGV employer worth their salt will be offering.

Let’s Talk About Mental Health

One of the biggest problems in the current workplace is centred not around physical illness, but mental. As our society evolves, our awareness of mental health problems is growing, as it is our responsibility to address them. It’s estimated that approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience some form of a mental health problem in any given year, with 1 in 6 experiencing every week. So despite being somewhat taboo, it’s one of the most common issues our country faces. Each profession will find there are more common issues than others as well. So for HGV drivers, common mental health issues include anxiety, depression and stress, all of which impact their ability to work effectively and safely. Long hours, night shits, traffic, time away from home – all of it can contribute to some significant mental health issues in drivers. Studies conducted by mental health charity MIND have found that 30% of illnesses in the transport and logistics industry are mental health-related (although this is self-reported and may actually be higher). And that really is the issue. The majority of workers in transport and logistics are still male, and men are statistically less likely to seek help for or even admit to suffering mental illness. Up to 95% of men who call in sick because of a mental health problem will lie about the reason, making it much more difficult to deal with.

Adding to that, the cost to UK industry is significant. Some reports suggest that up to £100 billion per year is lost because of unaddressed mental health issues which affect – or are caused or worsened by – the workplace environment. So not only should you be supporting your employees’ mental health because it’s the right thing to do, but because you have a financial incentive to do so.

What Can You Do?

Mental health is a more difficult issue to address, particularly as it’s treatment isn’t as simple as many of the physical injuries. A few options available to employers include implementing ‘mental health days’ as an additional form of sick day or making free, confidential counselling and mental health care available to employees. But it’s also about creating a safe and open workplace, where employees can actively seek help for these issues without concern for their job security or appearance.

Difficult working hours, night shifts, traffic, tight deadlines and mental and physical fatigue can all play havoc with employees’ mental health at work. These are all particular to the haulage industry, as is the potential for lack of exercise and bad diet which also contribute to a decline in mental well-being. It’s recommended that employers take the time to talk to their workers regularly to pick up on any issues and to seek specialist training if they need help to do so. To find out what you can do, just get in touch with us today for your free, no-obligation consultation.

Charlotte Haye

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