MEDICAL FITNESS OF PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS IN CENTRAL TUNISIA

Abstract

Drivers occupy a workstation that require safety measures. The objective of this paper was to assess the causes of occupational unfitness of professional drivers. This is a descriptive, retrospective study covering all cases of drivers sent for an evaluation of their fitness to work, carried out in the Department of occupational medicine at Farhat Hached teaching hospital in Sousse, from January 1st, 2008, until December 30th, 2020. 155 drivers were enrolled in this study. Most drivers drove buses (52.3%), 26.5% were diabetic, 29% had ophthalmological pathologies and 36.8% had chronic lower back pain. Seventy-four percent were defined unfit. Subjects over 50-years-old (p=0.034; OR = 2.45; 95% CI [1.05-5.71]), high job seniority (p=0.015; OR= 1.71; 95% CI [-7.60-0.81]), cardiac pathology (p=0.022; OR = 7.7; 95% CI [1.0-59.5]) and right and left single ocular visual acuity ≤ 5/10 (p=0.008; OR = 10.43; 95% CI [1.31-82.91] and p<10-3 ; OR = 17.51; 95% CI [2.23-137.5]) were significantly associated with a decision of unfitness. Regular medical surveillance of drivers is necessary and allows early detection of any deterioration in health that may constitute a contraindication to professional driving.

Keywords

• assessment of fitness to work
• professional road driver
• occupational medicine
• legislation