Whole body vibration exposure in heavy earth moving machinery operators of metalliferrous mines

Abstract

As mining operations get mechanized, the rate of profit generation increases and so do the rate of occupational hazards. This study deals with one such hazard - occupational vibration. The present study was carried out to determine the whole body vibration (WBV) exposure of the heavy earth moving machinery (HEMM) operators in two types of metalliferous mines in India, when they were engaged in the mining activity. Cross-comparison was done of the vibration dose value (VDV) for HEMM operators as well as each type of mine. The VDV for the shovel operator in bauxite mine was observed to be 13.53 +/- 5.63 m/s(7/4) with 25% of the readings higher than the prescribed limit whereas in iron ore mine VDV for dumper operator was 10.81 +/- 3.44 m/s(7/4) with 14.62% readings on the higher side. Cross-comparison of the VDV values for bauxite and iron ore mines revealed that it was 9.57 +/- 4.93 and 8.21 +/- 5.12 m/s(7/4) with 21.28 and 14.95% of the readings on the higher side respectively. The Student's t test level was found to be insignificant for both type of mines, indicating that the WBV exposure is not dependent on the type of mine but is dependent on the working condition and type of HEMM in operation.

Whole-body vibration and musculoskeletal diseases in professional truck drivers

“…The impact of vibration on physical and technical capacity of the drivers may be related to the exposure time, intensity and frequency, as well as the operational and environmental conditions in which the activity is developed (11,15). Evidence suggests that WBV exposure time triggers micro and macro impacts in the spine, and presents a clear relationship between the driver's position and the impact of transmission to important areas in the musculoskeletal system that directly compromises the absorption and dissipation of forces (11, 16 -18).…”

Variability management: A still to be noticed role of workers

“…The vibration suffered by workers when operating with vehicles depend on, among others, the external excitation force, the mass of the vehicle and environmental factors such as the condition of the pavement, the characteristics of the material handled, operations organization and worker experience (Mandal & Srivastava 2010;Frimpong, Galecki et al 2011). As expected, exposure to WBV does not depend on the type of operation (raw material), but from the working conditions and the type of equipment used as stated by the authors as Vanerkar, Kulkarni et al (2008).…”

“…Some studies point to WBV values below 0.5 m.s -2 (Howard, Sesek et al 2009;Aye & Heyns 2011;Dentoni & Massacci 2013). However, authors like Vanerkar, Kulkarni et al (2008) call attention to the risk conditions that may be subject these workers, with WBV values reaching 2.3 m.s -2 . The same happens with the predominant axis, there is no a clear definition.…”

Musculoskeletal symptoms and exposure to whole-body vibration among open-pit mine workers in the Arctic

“…A number of individual characteristics, such as age and smoking [7], height and weight [8] and mental stress [9], have also been associated with musculoskeletal symptoms. Operators of vehicles used in mining operations are exposed to considerable WBV during relatively long work periods [10][11][12][13][14][15]. Studies have also shown that the prevalence of self-reported musculoskeletal symptoms is higher among drivers of mine vehicles than among nonexposed workers [16,17].…”