Blood Pressure Machine Installed In Break Room In Trucking Company
Topic 7046 | Page 1
DOT Med Card physicals have to be performed by a DOT Certified Medical Examiner - so it's highly unlikely that the company purchased this equipment in order to "bypass" this requirement.
More likely - so that employees might identify potential issues they might be experiencing BEFORE they have to go renew their cards. Walking in and failing for high blood pressure (higher than 140/90), means they'd have to take time off to see a Dr., get on meds, get stabilized, and get re-examined. Failing on a BP - means you would be able to get a 3 month card, and have to go back and PASS within that 3 months - otherwise - you LOSE your DOT med certification and are essentially GROUNDED.
There is no BMI REGULATION currently in place - though some companies DO use this measure, to determine whether or not the driver might suffer from SLEEP APNEA - which means having to go for a SLEEP STUDY and potentially sendup having to purchase and use a CPAP machine in the truck.
This is not a bad idea - to get drivers to "self-monitor". It may light a fire under a few butts to get their weights and BP's down into a range where they are not going to cause themselves health issues and additional scrutiny, in order to maintain the ability to stay medically certified.
Drivers (usually) eat poorly (truckstop food/fast food) and don't get a whole lot of exercise (save for the few that really stay on top of it). It is a pretty sedentary lifestyle - sit and drive for 11 hours, eat & sleep. There are probably WAY MORE OBESE/UNHEALTHY drivers out there - than there are fit and trim ones.
Rick
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Sleep Apnea:
A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.
In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.
It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.
BMI:
Body mass index (BMI)
BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. The BMI's biggest weakness is that it doesn't consider individual factors such as bone or muscle mass. BMI may:
- Underestimate body fat for older adults or other people with low muscle mass
- Overestimate body fat for people who are very muscular and physically fit
It's quite common, especially for men, to fall into the "overweight" category if you happen to be stronger than average. If you're pretty strong but in good shape then pay no attention.
CPAP:
Constant Positive Airway Pressure
CPAP is a breathing assist device which is worn over the mouth or nose. It provides nighttime relief for individuals who suffer from Sleep Apnea.
Would be good if you would use your OWN Private pass word , so in no way could the info be tracked by the Company , ect, just saying,,,,,,,
It is probably a free screening program for drivers. My company offers free health screenings throughout the year and if we participate, our health insurance premium is drastically decreased. I say it is a good idea as long as no one except the health professional and driver have access to the results.
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Hi,
I recently installed a blood-pressure machine in a local trucking company. I'm wondering why the company would want one of these. Both my brother and father are CDL tractor-trailer drivers. The only thing they've ever mentioned was the physical, and that only happened once. So, does anyone have an idea about what could be going on here? It's a nice machine. It has network access, users create a profile and track their results over time. Not only does it measure the user's blood pressure, but it also measures their weight, providing a BMI (body mass index), and it measures percent body-fat. It does the latter by measuring the electrical conductivity between the user's hands when placed and held on two electrodes. The body mass index , which provides an idea of where the user lies in terms of being over or under weight; it uses the person's height which is input by the user. The results can then be printed out. Next week when the user obtains a new set of test results, the machine will present them in a graphical format, showing the user's progress over time. It's a nice machine, more sophisticated than the standard one found in the drug store. So, I was wondering if there was something going on with the rules in regard to drivers' physical health. The machine I installed provides the results that would normally be obtained through a physical examination by a medical doctor. So, I got the idea that this was a cheap way for the company to do so without having to pay a doctor to be present to do the physicals. Does anyone know anything about this? Does anyone have any thoughts on the subject or matter? I'm pretty curious and would like to know. It doesn't hurt to throw up a question on a forum, so I hope someone responds. I hope to hear from someone soon.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
BMI:
Body mass index (BMI)
BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. The BMI's biggest weakness is that it doesn't consider individual factors such as bone or muscle mass. BMI may:
It's quite common, especially for men, to fall into the "overweight" category if you happen to be stronger than average. If you're pretty strong but in good shape then pay no attention.
Body Mass Index:
Body mass index (BMI)
BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. The BMI's biggest weakness is that it doesn't consider individual factors such as bone or muscle mass. BMI may:
It's quite common, especially for men, to fall into the "overweight" category if you happen to be stronger than average. If you're pretty strong but in good shape then pay no attention.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated