Abstract
Whole-body vibration is a significant health risk for between 4% and 7% of the work force in North America. In addition, many factors compound the health risks of heavy machinery operators. For example, twisted trunk and neck postures stiffen the spine and increase the transmission of vibration to the head. Similarly, workers adopt awkward postures in order to gain appropriate lines of sight for machine operations. Although the relative contribution of these various issues can be evaluated in field studies and models, we propose that virtual reality is a powerful medium for investigating issues related to health and safety in mining machine operators. We have collected field data of posture and vibration, as well as visual environment, for a forklift operating in a warehouse. This paper describes the process and outcome of this field data collection, and provides a discussion on the next steps to develop and test the virtual reality model to enable laboratory testing. Our ongoing studies will evaluate the interplay between posture and vibration under conditions replicating routine heavy machinery operations, such as underground mining.
Highlights
Epidemiologic studies have shown that heavy machinery operators are more likely to have low back problems than workers who are not exposed to whole body vibration [1,2]; this association has been further substantiated in a recent meta analysis which identified that operators exposed to driving heavy equipment vehicles are at more than twice the risk of developing lower back pain compared to individuals that are not exposed to driving heavy equipment vehicles [3]
The video cameras were attached with clamps (Manfrotto Super Clamps, Cassola VI, Italy) to an extruded aluminum cross that was secured to the fall-on protection above the cabin of the forklift [76]. This mounting system enabled us to collect multiple views of the operator within the cab of the forklift; camera vibration did not seem to influence our image quality. These video cameras were located far enough away from the cabin such that the field of view encompassed the various postures of the operator without interfering with normal driving tasks nor obscuring the operator’s line of sight
We have described how our system can be used to evaluate the independent contributions of whole-body vibration and posture to injury risk by enabling assessment of factors such as muscular activation, muscular fatigue, and seat-to-head vibration transmissibility
Summary
Epidemiologic studies have shown that heavy machinery operators are more likely to have low back problems than workers who are not exposed to whole body vibration [1,2]; this association has been further substantiated in a recent meta analysis which identified that operators exposed to driving heavy equipment vehicles are at more than twice the risk of developing lower back pain compared to individuals that are not exposed to driving heavy equipment vehicles [3]. Due to the high prevalence of heavy machinery in mechanized societies, between 4% and 7% of the work force in North America and Europe is exposed to potentially harmful levels of whole-body vibration [4,5]. These risks are evident in epidemiological studies that report an increased risk of low back pain, and degenerative changes to the spinal column [6,7]. Between 14% and 25% of heavy earth moving machinery operators at metalliferrous mines in India were exposed to whole-body vibration levels that exceeded the prescribed limit [25]
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