Occupational Safety and Health of Self-Employed Truck Drivers: A Literature Review

Abstract

The road freight transport sector has different models for contracting freight, a factor that negatively impacts the working conditions offered to drivers. The working hours of Brazilian truck drivers are, as a rule, linked to their employment relationship with the contracting carrier. The main objective of the research was to identify and analyze the main occupational health and safety aspects that affect self-employed drivers. The research consisted of a literature review in the SciELO, Scopus and Web of Science databases, in which a structured process was used, including planning, execution and analysis of the researched data. Fatigue and drowsiness during activity are considered a major health problem for the category, not only because they affect well-being, but also because they impact vehicle driving performance and, consequently, safety. The findings are in line with the discussions brought about by the growing informalization of the work of the self-employed, which submits them to temporary contracts, without guarantees of labor rights, with exhausting hours. This article reflects on fatigue and sleepiness as the main causes of traffic accidents, making it essential to establish minimum conditions to be observed by any service contracting party.