Open AccessWhole-Body Vibration and Trunk Posture During Operation of Agricultural Machinery
Author(s) -
Nathan B. Fethke,
Mark C. Schall,
Linda Merlino,
Howard Chen,
Cassidy Branch,
Maya Ramaswamy
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
annals of work exposures and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.62
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 2398-7316
pISSN - 2398-7308
DOI - 10.1093/annweh/wxy076
Subject(s) - whole body vibration , trunk , agricultural machinery , low back pain , crest factor , physical medicine and rehabilitation , agriculture , work (physics) , accelerometer , medicine , vibration , environmental health , computer science , engineering , biology , mechanical engineering , ecology , computer network , physics , alternative medicine , bandwidth (computing) , pathology , quantum mechanics , operating system
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.