Hand-arm vibration while operating a side brush cutter with three cutting implements in two crops

Abstract

The use of side brushcutters exposes users to vibration and noise, which can cause damage to the operator, as they act as a stressor agent. Excessive vibration is responsible for countless disorders, including Raynaud’s syndrome. This study aimed to assess the effect of the vibrations of a side brush cutter on the human body. A side brush cutter was used with three cutting implements (double blade, triple blade and double nylon thread) applied to two crops (wheat and ryegrass). The vibration was measured through a three-dimensional accelerometer placed on the handgrips of the brush cutter, in compliance with the provisions of the ISO 5349-1 Standard. The analyzed variables were submitted to the Shapiro-Wilk and Bartlett tests. Due to the abnormality, the data were transformed by the Neperian logarithm and submitted to analysis of variance, and the means were compared by the Tukey test at 5% probability. As a result, the orthogonal y-axis presented a higher vibration level; the three-point blade showed the lowest vibration level compared to the other cutting implements for both crops; these vibration levels did not exceed the NHO10 recommendation. Hence, using the appropriate attachment for each operation may reduce the harm caused by vibration to the operator’s body.