Post-COVID, delivery workers in Australia are busier than ever, particularly across food and postal industries.
The workload can increase during busy parts of the year, particularly around Christmas time and peak sales periods, leading to increased delivery driver accidents. Here are some tips on how to avoid delivery driver injury, maintain courier safety, and look after your health if you’re injured while working.
Common injuries for delivery drivers
Work as a delivery driver involves heavy lifting and spending hours on the road in all weathers, often navigating unfamiliar streets, access to delivery addresses and heavy traffic.
Common delivery driver accidents can include:
Repetitive strain injuries, such as a back injury
Involvement in a car accident, causing whiplash, broken bones and more serious injuries
Slipping, tripping and falling on footpaths, driveways, stairs or while accessing the delivery address
Dog bites from unrestrained pets at delivery addresses
Health and safety tips for delivery drivers
Practicing these health and safety strategies, especially during busy periods, is key for courier safety and minimising delivery driver accidents leading to workplace injury.
Practise good lifting techniques
When lifting heavy items, it is important to use safe lifting techniques. If the correct lifting techniques aren’t used, you could be at risk of musculoskeletal disorders, including:
Sprains
Strains
Fractures, and
Soft-tissue injuries to the back and shoulders
Listen to our client Maria’s story of her workplace repetitive lifting injury which lead to her back injuries.
Avoid repetitive motion
Delivery workers are at risk of repetitive strain injuries, especially those who drive for a living. Drivers often sit for hours at a time, which may cause numbness or worse in the arms, elbows, wrists, shoulders and neck.
Repetitive strain injuries can be alleviated by varying your seat position and your posture as well as stretching and taking breaks during your shift.
Take breaks to avoid fatigue
Delivery workers often work long shifts and may become tired, with fatigue increasing your chance of injury. Employers must allow workers their minimum legal breaks, which may differ by industry and employment contract.
Look after your health
The likelihood of delivery driver accident injury can be reduced by eating well and resting on your time off. A healthy diet, regular exercise and sleep schedule will help keep your body and mind in good condition.
Drive defensively
As a delivery driver or bicycle courier, you’re on the road in all weather and at all times of the day. The more time you spend on the road, the higher your risk of a delivery driver accident. Practise driver and courier safety by always driving defensively and checking your blind spots to reduce your risk of being involved in a road accident.
What to do if you’re injured as a delivery driver
Injury following delivery driver accidents can occur even if you follow health and safety strategies for driver and courier safety.
If you’re injured at work, we suggest you do the following:
Report your injury to your employer immediately
See a qualified medical practitioner as soon as possible. You’ll need medical evidence of your injury and to prove your injury was work-related
Lodge a claim for workers' compensation
Seek legal advice from experienced workers’ compensation lawyers to make sure your rights are protected and to maximise your entitlement to workplace injury compensation
Workers’ compensation for delivery drivers
If you have suffered a workplace injury as a delivery driver, worker, or courier, you may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses and loss of income.
Get in touch with Shine Lawyers’ expert workers compensation lawyers today for an obligation-free discussion about your potential claim. Our workers’ compensation lawyers offer their legal services on a No Win, No Fee* basis.
Time limits for making a workers’ compensation claim vary between Australian states and territories. Shine Lawyers have over 40 offices across Australia, so no matter where you’re located, we can help with your workers’ compensation claim. We can meet in person or via a virtual appointment.
We can help you get your life back on track and protect what matters.
*Conditions apply
