New wearable measurement technique for investigation, risk assessment, and evaluation of sedentary and whole-body vibrations during work in vibrating vehicles
According to the Swedish Central Bureau of Statistics (SCB), a significant portion of machine operators and construction equipment operators suffer from work-related vibration injuries, with truck and bus drivers to a lesser extent. Many in these professions remain sedentary for long periods, thus facing a high risk of prolonged sick leave. An ongoing project aims to develop a method for measuring the exposure time to whole-body vibrations during seated work, with the purpose of assessing and reducing the risks of such injuries. By using small and cost-effective sensors on the front of the thigh, the method should be integrable with the mapping of sedentary work and existing data to study health effects. The project explores two methods to develop an algorithm for identifying exposure times to whole-body vibrations, requiring validation data from individuals wearing thigh accelerometers and working in vibrating vehicles. By collecting data from different types of vehicles and working conditions, the project aims to assess compliance with ISO standards and conduct statistical analyses to compare results with these standards.
Details
- Funder: Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare,AFA
Project description
The development of this measurement method can contribute to assessing and reducing the risks of sedentary and whole-body vibrations in these industries. The new method would enable the integration of whole-body vibration measurements with the situations of sedentary work and utilize existing data to study health effects.
The project aims to further develop an existing method (ActiPASS) to also measure the exposure time to whole-body vibrations during seated work with small, inexpensive sensors on the front of the thigh. It will also investigate the correlation between thigh vibrations and the driver's seat according to ISO standard SS-ISO 2631. The goal is for the method to be used to assess risks and effects of interventions against sedentary and whole-body vibrations in the workplace as well as in large-scale occupational health surveys and epidemiological studies.
Two methods will be explored to develop an algorithm that can identify exposure times to whole-body vibrations: 1) based on specific movement patterns and 2) through machine learning. To test these, we need validation data from individuals wearing thigh accelerometers, and whose working periods in vibrating vehicles are carefully documented. These periods will be monitored using vehicle cameras, personal video playback, observations, logbooks, or vehicle logs. The aim is to collect a wide range of measurement data from different types of vehicles and working conditions, such as forklifts, wheel loaders, trucks, forestry machinery, and buses in various traffic environments. To assess compliance with ISO standards, we will also perform measurements according to SS-ISO 2631 and statistical analyses to compare vibrations from thigh accelerometers with the standards, including A(8) values and VDV values.