Health Hazard Evaluation Report No. 2024-0048-3421: Whole-Body Vibration Analysis of Military Range Operation Maintenance Tasks

Details

• Personal Author:
  Hayden, Marie A. ; Ramsey, Jessica G. ; Barim, Menekse S.
• Description:
  An employer from a military base requested a NIOSH health hazard evaluation regarding range operators' exposure to whole-body vibration during vehicle operation. The military base had varied road conditions, including paved, dirt, and gravel roads. We visited the military base to learn more about the health concerns and to measure whole-body vibration exposure. We (1) observed work processes, work practices, and workplace conditions, and (2) measured range operators' exposure to whole-body vibration during work shifts. Whole-body vibration exposures for job tasks were below American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH®) guidelines. However, our evaluation showed that although range operators operating specific vehicles were below the ACGIH recommended action limit, crest factors could suggest exposure measurements may be underestimated due to impact vibration. We recommended reducing exposure to whole-body vibration by upgrading vehicles to ones with enhanced vibration dampening, minimizing exposure to rough and uneven terrain, controlling driving speeds, and continuing with established job rotation.
• Subjects:
  Occupational Health Safety Vibration
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: National Security; Whole-Body Vibration; WBV; Range Operations Region 8; Whole Body Vibration; Motor Vehicles; Work Practices; Vibration Control; Drivers;
• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study ; Report
• Place as Subject:
  Colorado ; Ohio ; Denver Region [OSHA] ; Chicago Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  24 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071011
• Citation:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HHE 2024-0048-3421, 2025 Sep; :1-24
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  928110 - National Security - (NAICS)
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:560c40f37818f8266a6b37024f46b16779186077a2b26984dbd0416952406e825264454304f527505f83520490c57b082ced49e8c6ac78dc15449009d777956e
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/257790/cdc_257790_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 650.96 KB ]