DOT Sets Tough standards for Commercial Drivers High blood pressure can keep drivers off the job-and that costs the utility money

摘要

Every time commercial driver gets behind a truck's steering wheel,there's a certain degree of risk. For the driver, a sedentary job with limited access to healthy food and exercise raises blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular disease,techding a heart attack or stroke. For both the driver and nearby motorists, this poses a danger if the driver should become incapacitated while driving.To help mitigate this risk, the Department of Transportation restricts commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) to drivers who meet certain standards for healthy blood pressure. This means that employers of commercial drivers face not only the liability of the risk of a major crash, but also disruptions in the workforce as hypertensive drivers are disqualified. Employers must pay for frequent monitoring of drivers with hypertension to be sure that treatment is controlling their blood pressure. Self-insured employers typically pay for the treatment necessary to achieve control.