Case Study Workplace design for a delivery driver

The company employs 106 people and manufactures packaging materials, paper bags and shopping bags.

The man has a back condition and joint wear in his knees and hip. Because of these disabilities, he should generally avoid high and prolonged stress on the knee or hip joints, frequent bending, and lifting and carrying loads. In addition, he should not be used specifically for driving activities, which cause increased stress on the spine when sitting due to frequent strong jolts and vibrations. The GdB (degree of disability) is 50.
Due to complaints related to his disabilities, the employee had already been unable to work for several months. After a medical rehab he returned to the company.

The man has not learned a vocational training and has been employed by the company for many years. After initially working in production and in the warehouse, he was later employed as a delivery driver for health reasons.

The employee is responsible for delivering paper bags and carrier bags to wholesalers and, on rare occasions, directly to retail stores. He had a 7.5 ton truck with manual transmission at his disposal for the transports. When driving the truck, he had particular problems with the frequent use of the clutch and brake pedals and the need to climb onto the loading area. The existing driver's seat also did not meet the disability-related requirements. The delivery driver also had difficulty opening and closing the truck's heavy drop sides.
Since the existing truck could not be modified to be suitable for disabled people, the company purchased a new vehicle and equipped it to meet the employee's needs. The new vehicle has an automatic transmission and an engine brake to eliminate the need for power-consuming pedals as much as possible. In addition, an ergonomic, heated and shock-absorbing driver's seat and an electrically adjustable right-hand outside mirror have been installed. A parking heater, in conjunction with the seat heater, prevents the driver's cab from cooling down in cold weather as well as waiting times and thus serves to prevent kidney disease. To avoid climbing onto the loading area, the truck is equipped with a hydraulic tail lift that can be moved up and down. A pallet truck is also available in the cargo area for moving the load to the correct position.

Vehicle accessories and adaptations
Motor vehicle seats and cushions and accessories and adaptations (driver's seats)
hand-guided pallet trucks (pallet trucks)