Health risks associated with whole-body vibration exposure in steel manufacturing vehicle operators

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to measure operator exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV) and to determine health risks associated with the operation of heavy-lift transporters (HLT; n=2), pot haulers (n=3), hoists (n=4) and loaders (n=2) used within the steel manufacturing industry. Anecdotal evidence suggested operators of the above equipment were suffering from vibration-induced injury; however, typical exposure data was not available in the literature. A tri-axial seat-pad accelerometer was used to measure vibration at the operator/seat interface. Health risk to operators was determined based on criteria established in the ISO 2631-1 standard. The calculated 8-hour daily equivalent vibration dose value placed all pot haulers and one HLT, one hoist and one loader above the health guidance caution zone (HGCZ). Therefore, interventions aimed at reducing vibration exposure below the ISO 2631-1 HGCZ should be implemented. Caution must be applied when generalizing exposure data to other industries; however, exposure data reported in this study does represent the first published data for pot-haulers and HLTs in steel production.