Vibration exposure characteristics and health risk prevention strategies associated with vibration exposure during mining applications

Abstract

Occupational exposure to vibration can lead to health problems and is typically classified as whole-body vibration (WBV), hand-arm vibration (HAV), or foot-transmitted vibration (FTV). Vibration exposure characteristics are typically measured and compared to standards (ISO 2631-1; ISO 5349-1; EU Directive 2002/44/EC) in an effort to determine the probability of adverse health effects including: low-back pain, spinal degeneration, and gastrointestinal tract problems linked with exposure to WBV; decreased grip strength, tingling/numbness in the fingers/hands, and blanching of the fingers associated with exposure to HAV; and numbness/tingling in the feet/toes, and cold induced blanching of the toes stemming from exposure to FTV. The presentation will summarize vibration exposure data collected by the research team over a 10-year period which suggests operators of load-haul-dump vehicles, haulage trucks, and dozers are exposed to WBV above recommended guidelines, while operators of jack-legs are exposed to HAV above guidelines. Our data also suggest miners exposed to FTV associated with drilling off of raise platforms and operating bolters and jumbo drills are at risk of developing a vibration-induced injury. The presentation will also review the effectiveness of control strategies evaluated by the research team including seating, isolation platforms, “anti-vibration” drills, cab interventions, road maintenance, and operating speeds.