Whole-Body Vibration and Trunk Posture During Operation of Agricultural Machinery

Details

• Personal Author:
  Branch CA ; Chen H ; Fethke NB ; Merlino LA ; Ramaswamy M ; Schall MC
• Description:
  Exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV) is common among agricultural workers and is associated with musculoskeletal health outcomes such as low back pain. Little is known, however, about the characteristics of exposure experienced during actual production practices. We measured WBV levels during agricultural machinery use among a sample of farmers (n = 55) performing routine agricultural activities and explored machinery attributes that may explain WBV summary measures. We also measured trunk posture to provide additional information about physical exposures during machinery operation. Measurements were made on-farm and during actual work conditions of a sample of agricultural machines (n = 112), including tractors, combines, heavy utility vehicles, and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). Results indicated the presence of high levels of vibration (median frequency-weighted root-mean-square acceleration of approximately 0.8 m s-2) with time signatures that include high-amplitude mechanical shocks (median crest factor of nearly 23). Compared to other machinery types, combines exhibited the lowest WBV levels and among the most favorable trunk postures. Substantial variability was observed in both the WBV and trunk posture summary measures, suggesting for future studies that alternative sampling strategies are needed to fully capture temporal patterns of machinery use. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Automobiles Farmers Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Safety Vibration
• Keywords:
  Agricultural Machinery Agricultural Workers Author Keywords: Whole-body Vibration Drivers Low Back Pain Motor Vehicles MSD Musculoskeletal Disorders Musculoskeletal Health Posture Tractors Whole Body Vibration

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• ISSN:
  2398-7308
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement ; Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Alabama ; Iowa ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 7
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  62
• Issue:
  9
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20052911
• Citation:
  Ann Work Expo Health 2018 Nov; 62(9):1123-1133
• Contact Point Address:
  Nathan B. Fethke, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Iowa, 145 N. Riverside Dr., Suite 300, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
• Email:
  nathan-fethke@uiowa.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Iowa, Iowa City
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20010930
• Source Full Name:
  Annals of Work Exposures and Health
• End Date:
  20270929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:dceefffa2dddbd0c513751791f8c5c697f8e6f9dc9551f8e4b7325aba01e89a3fed95dd1e33f00f9208d9d3a833b65ca501ace795c4ae12ca594c68c0a61ecee
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/215817/cdc_215817_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 437.08 KB ]