The whole-body vibration in operation of wheeled and tracked harvester IN PINUS thinning

Abstract

Technological advances available in wood harvesting machines have provided productivity improvements and more comfort in forestry operations. However, operators may be exposed to whole-body vibration which can lead to a wide variety of health disorders and industry losses. This research aimed to evaluate the exposure of workers to whole-body vibration in thinning harvesting operations comparing two models of harvesters (tracked and wheeled) working in Pinus taeda stands submitted to the first commercial thinning. Whole-body vibration was determined by the three orthogonal axes (X, Y, and Z) using a 3-Axis integrator vibration meter, and the data were analyzed according to the criteria established by the ISO 2631–1:1997 and the European Directive, 2002/44/EC, concerning the resulting acceleration from normalized exposure A (8) and value of the resulting vibration dose value (VDV). The acceleration and vibration levels obtained by the tracked harvester presented mean values of A (8) of 0.6 m/s2 and VDV 11.2 m/s1.75, while by the wheeled harvester, mean values were A (8) of 0.4 m/s2 and VDV 9.3 m/s1.75, respectively. It was possible to verify the expressive vibration from the tracked harvester analysis, the operators were exposed to the whole-body vibration above the limits recommended by the regulating norms.