Comparing the Whole Body Vibration Exposures across Three Truck Seats

2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 933-936 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fangfang Wang ◽  
Hugh Davies ◽  
Bronson Du ◽  
Peter W. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Whole Body Vibration ◽  
Truck Drivers ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Body Vibration ◽  
Seat Suspension ◽  
Performance Differences ◽  
Air Suspension ◽  
Vibration Action ◽  
Practical Implications

Studies have shown that there are differences in whole body vibration (WBV) exposures and WBV attenuation performance among different suppliers of air suspension truck seats. With 17 truck drivers operating semi-trucks over two common road types (the same highways and dirt roads), WBV exposures were measured and compared across three different air-suspension truck seats. Similar to a previous study, in the higher-speed, on-road highway conditions, one seat was found to have higher WBV exposures and lower WBV attenuation performance. In off-road conditions at slower speed, there were negligible differences across the three seats. These differences in seat performance have important practical implications. The higher performing seats nearly doubled the amount of time drivers could operate their trucks before reaching the ISO daily vibration action limits from 3 to 6 hours a day to 9 to 11 hours a day. Seat suspension-based design differences are thought to account for the performance differences.

scholarly journals Assessment of whole-body vibration exposure of mining truck drivers

2020 ◽  
Vol 120 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Erdem ◽  
T. Dogan ◽  
Z. Duran
Keyword(s):  
Health Effect ◽  
Whole Body Vibration ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Dominant Frequency ◽  
Truck Drivers ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Vibration Acceleration ◽  
Body Vibration ◽  
Dump Trucks ◽  
Iso 2631

SYNOPSIS Whole-body vibration (WBV) exposure measurements taken from 105 truck drivers employed in 19 mines and other workplaces were evaluated with the criteria prescribed in EU 2002/44/EC directive, BS 6841 (1987), ISO 2631-1 (1997). and ISO 2631-5 (2004) standards. The highest vibration acceleration was measured on the vertical Z-axis. The highest WBV exposure occurred in the RETURN, HAUL, and SPOT phases while the lowest exposure took place in the LOAD and WAIT phases. Crest factors on all axes were generally greater than nine, yet strong correlation coefficients were achieved in VDV-eVDV analyses. Driver seats generally dampened the vibration along the Z-axis but exacerbated it along X and Y axes. The dominant frequency for the X and Y-axes rose up to 40 Hz while it ranged between 1 Hz and 2.5 Hz along the Z-axis. While the probability of an adverse health effect was higher with BS 6841 (1987) and ISO 2631-1 (1997) standards, it was low according to EU 2002/44/EC and ISO 2631-5 (2004). The 91 t, 100 t, and 170 t capacity trucks produced lower vibration magnitudes. Drivers were exposed to approximately equivalent levels of WBV acceleration and dose in contractor-type trucks and mining trucks. Rear-dump trucks exposed their drivers to a slightly higher level of vibration than bottom-dump trucks. Underground trucks exposed their drivers to a significantly higher level of vibration than mining trucks. Both driver age and driver experience were inversely proportional to vibration acceleration and dose. Conversely, there was a positive relationship between the truck service years and the WBV acceleration and dose to which drivers were exposed to. Loads of blocky material exposed drivers to higher vibration acceleration and dose levels than non-blocky material. Keywords: whole-body vibration, mining truck, A(8), BS 6841, EU 2002/EC/44, ISO 2631-1, ISO 2631-5, VDV(8).

scholarly journals Comparison of Whole-Body Vibration Exposures When Operating a City Bus with an Active, Passive and Static Suspension Bus Seat

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 1052-1056
Author(s):  
Peter W. Johnson ◽  
Jennifer Ibbotson-Brown ◽  
Serf Menocal ◽  
Jim Parison
Keyword(s):  
Standardized Test ◽  
Whole Body Vibration ◽  
Active Suspension ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Bus Drivers ◽  
Body Vibration ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Industry Standard ◽  
Air Suspension

Municipal bus drivers have a high rate of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMDSs) and Whole Body Vibration (WBV) has been shown to be a risk factor associated with WMSDs. Recently, active suspension seats, which cut WBV exposures in half relative to the current, industry-standard air suspension seats, have become commercially available for use in buses. This study compared WBV exposures while bus drivers operated a municipal bus over a standardized test route using three different types of seats: 1) an active (electromechanical) suspension bus seat, 2) a passive (air) suspension bus seat, and 3) a static (suspension-less) bus seat. Similar to their performance in semi-trucks, the active suspension seat reduced bus driver WBV exposures between 35% to 61% relative to the passive suspension and static seats. Based on these preliminary results, the active suspension bus seat appears to have the potential to substantially reduce a bus driver’s exposure to WBV.

Whole-Body Vibration Exposures Among Solid Waste Collecting Truck Operators

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 860-864
Author(s):  
Hyoung-gon (Frank) Ryou ◽  
Peter W Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Solid Waste ◽  
Whole Body Vibration ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Low Back ◽  
Body Vibration ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Vibration Action ◽  
Regular Work ◽  
Vector Sum

A number of studies have shown an association between whole-body vibration (WBV) exposure and the onset and development of low back pain among professional vehicle operators. This study measured WBV exposures from 12 drivers who operated four different types of solid waste collecting trucks during part of their regular work shift. The daily average weighted A(8), vibration dose value VDV(8), and vector sum A(8) and VDV(8) exposures were analyzed and compared across the solid waste collecting trucks. Study result showed that the majority of A(8) and all of the VDV(8) predominant axis exposures were above International Organization for Standardization (ISO) daily vibration action limit (A(8) = 0.5 m/s2, VDV(8) = 9.1 m/s1.75). Based on the predominant axis and vector sum exposures, most of the trucks reached the daily vibration action limits before 8-hours. When compared to the predominant axis A(8) exposures, the predominant axis VDV(8) exposures reduced the acceptable solid waste collecting truck operating times on average by over 4 hours. Our study results demonstrated that these solid waste collecting truck operators were exposed to high levels of both continuous and impulsive WBV exposures, with the impulsive WBV exposures indicating that they may pose a greater risk to the driver’s health.

Whole Body Vibration Exposures in Long-haul Truck Drivers

2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 1274-1278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeong Ho Kim ◽  
Lovenoor Aulck ◽  
Margaret Hughes ◽  
Monica Zigman ◽  
Jennifer Cavallari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Whole Body Vibration ◽  
Truck Drivers ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Body Vibration ◽  
Haul Truck

Cross-sectional Analysis of Whole Body Vibration Exposures and Health Status among Long-haul Truck Drivers

2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 928-932 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeong Ho Kim ◽  
Monica Zigman ◽  
Jack T Dennerlein ◽  
Peter W Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Whole Body Vibration ◽  
Truck Drivers ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Low Back ◽  
Body Vibration ◽  
Daily Exposure

Exposure to whole body vibration (WBV) is known to be associated with various adverse health outcomes among professional truck drivers. As a part of a randomized controlled trial, this study evaluated WBV exposures and various health outcomes from 96 professional truck drivers. The WBV was measured and analyzed per International Standards Organization (ISO) 2631-1 and 2631-5 WBV standards. This study also measured self-reported regional body pain (10-point scale), low back disability (the Oswestry Disability Index), and physical/mental health (the Short Form 12-item Health Survey). Lastly, this study evaluated associations between the WBV exposure and various health outcomes. The results showed that the predominant z-axis weighted average vibration [A(8)] measure (Mean ± SE: 0.35 ± 0.01 m/s2) was below the ISO and European Union (EU) daily exposure action limits (0.5 m/s2) whereas the vibration dose value [VDV(8)] measure (12.2 ± 0.3 m/s1.75) was above the ISO and EU daily exposure action limit (9.1 m/s1.75). Self-reported low back pain (LBP) was the most prevalent adverse musculoskeletal outcome reported (72.5%) with average LBP score of 2.9 (SD: 2.0). The SF-12 health scores showed that truck drivers’ physical health status was lower than the average US population (p’s < 0.04). Moreover, the Spearman’s correlations ( rs ) between the WBV parameters and health outcomes indicated that A(8) measures were associated with LBP ( rs = 0.31; r = 0.05) and SF-12 physical composite score ( rs = −0.39; r = 0.02); however VDV(8) was not associated with any of the health outcomes. The study findings indicates that although the impulsive exposures [VDV(8)] were more prominent, the continuous, average vibration [A(8)] appears to be more strongly associated with injury risks. This finding supports the practice of EU countries using A(8) as one of the primary measures for characterizing daily WBV exposures but also complements many other studies indicating that the current EU daily action limit value of 0.50 m/s2 for WBV may be too high.

Whole Body Vibration Exposure and Seat Effective Amplitude Transmissibility of Air Suspension Seat in Different Bus Designs

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ornwipa Thamsuwan ◽  
Ryan P. Blood ◽  
Charlotte Lewis ◽  
Patrik W. Rynell ◽  
Peter W. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Whole Body Vibration ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Vibration Exposure ◽  
Body Vibration ◽  
Air Suspension
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