Trucking is a major industry in BC, and the industry has an injury rate that is twice the provincial average, and time-loss averages that are 70% higher. Back injuries are a major health concern and research indicates that whole body vibration (WBV), common in driving occupations, is associated with low back disorders. Reducing WBV exposures for drivers has the potential to reduce risk for several adverse health outcomes including low back pain and injury.\u00a0\u00a0A primary strategy to reduce WBV is seat technology that attenuates vibration between the vehicle floor and the driver.\u00a0\u00a0The industry-standard are passive pneumatic suspension ('air-ride') seats. However, in on-road vehicles, these seats have been shown to actually have a limited ability to reduce WBV exposures. A recently developed engineering control that has potential to substantially reduce WBV exposure is electromagnetic active vibration cancelling (EAVC) technology. Yet rigorous evaluation of EAVC systems and the associated reduction in exposure to WBV is lacking. To measure whole body vibration exposure levels and characterize exposure attenuation in four common truck seats. We examined four different seats representing three passive suspension seats (the original fitted seat made by Commercial Vehicle Group - the National Premium; and two aftermarket seats, one made by Sears Seating - the Elite; and the other made by Isringhausen\u00a0 Model 6860\/875 NTS) and an one EAVC seat (Bose-Ride). WBV levels were measured at the truck floor and at the seat surface and the results for the 8-hour weighted average (A[8]) are reported. A total of 24 truck drivers participated (mean age 50.3 years). Volunteer drivers used each seat type for at least one full shift. Data collection was undertaken between May 2015 and November 2016. On the testing days, the trucks drove on the same 10-hour, 280km route. Over the whole route, the seat-measured WBV exposure levels were lowest for the EAVC seat (A[8] = 0.27 m\/s2, z-axis), intermediate for the two aftermarket seats (0.43 and 0.44 m\/s2, z-axis) and highest in the original fitted, air ride seat (A[8] = 0.54 m\/s2, z-axis). Daily vibration action limits (DVAL) were exceeded and reached in only 6.3 hours for the original fitted air ride seat; the permitted operating time was nearly doubled for the other two aftermarket passive air suspension seats and use of the EVAC seats would not limit vehicle operation time. The results demonstrated that there were differences in WBV attenuation performance within the three passive air suspension seats we evaluated, with the original fitted seat giving the poorest performance, and the two aftermarket seats having improved performance. The study has implications for all stakeholder groups. It supports previous findings that exposure to potentially hazardous whole body vibration can occur even in modern trucks fitted with industry standard 'air-ride' pneumatic suspension seating technology. Considerable improvements in WBV attenuation is possible with the relatively more expensive EAVC seat suspension technology, but significant attenuation improvements are also achievable with less expensive, passive suspension seats if higher performing seats are selected.<\/p>\n
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