CarriersEdge has introduced an online course to help protect drivers from hazards including slips, trips, falls from heights, and stresses from repetitive motion.

The Fall Protection for Drivers course focuses on how to become aware of such hazards and how to avoid them through practices such as safe entry and exit from vehicles, the proper use of ladders, and working with fall-protection equipment.

There are three half-hour modules in all, combining text, images, interactive exercises, and real-life examples.

According to the National Safety Council’s Injury Facts, more than 85% of non-fatal injuries involving days away from work can be traced to overexertion and bodily reaction; contact with objects and equipment; and slips, trips and falls. And in each case, the transportation and warehousing industry faces the highest risk, typically leading to five to 12 days of lost time.

Drivers can be seriously injured even through a short fall, such as slipping on a metal dock plate or jumping from the back of a trailer, CarriersEdge notes, adding that long-term injuries can be traced to the repetitive stress on joints caused by actions like jumping down from a cab or trailer. Even safety equipment like a body harness and lanyard can cause injuries and fatalities if used improperly.