Whole body vibration exposure in heavy earth moving machinery operators of metalliferrous mines

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol. 143; no. 1-3; pp. 239 - 245
• Main Authors: Vanerkar, A. P, Kulkarni, N. P, Zade, P. D, Kamavisdar, A. S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01.08.2008; Springer Netherlands; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bauxite; Biological and medical sciences; Developing countries; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Earth and Environmental Science; Earthmoving equipment; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Management; Environmental monitoring; HEMM; Humans; India; Iron compounds; Iron ore; Iron ores; LDCs; Medical sciences; Mines; Mining; Mining industry; Miscellaneous. Osteoarticular involvement in other diseases; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Motor Vehicles; Occupational Exposure - adverse effects; Occupational Exposure - analysis; Occupational hazards; Operator; Production capacity; Studies; VDV; Vibration; Vibration - adverse effects; Vibration analysis; WBV; Working conditions; Asia; India; Operator; VDV; Bauxite; WBV; HEMM; Iron ore; Human; Vibration; Mine; Operator· VDV·WBV; Whole body; Occupational exposure; Mining industry; Occupational medicine; HEMM·Iron ore
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-007-9972-z

As mining operations get mechanized, the rate of profit generation increases and so do the rate of occupational hazards. This study deals with one such hazard - occupational vibration. The present study was carried out to determine the whole body vibration (WBV) exposure of the heavy earth moving machinery (HEMM) operators in two types of metalliferous mines in India, when they were engaged in the mining activity. Cross-comparison was done of the vibration dose value (VDV) for HEMM operators as well as each type of mine. The VDV for the shovel operator in bauxite mine was observed to be 13.53 ± 5.63 m/s⁷/⁴ with 25% of the readings higher than the prescribed limit whereas in iron ore mine VDV for dumper operator was 10.81 ± 3.44 m/s⁷/⁴ with 14.62% readings on the higher side. Cross-comparison of the VDV values for bauxite and iron ore mines revealed that it was 9.57 ± 4.93 and 8.21 ± 5.12 m/s⁷/⁴ with 21.28 and 14.95% of the readings on the higher side respectively. The Student's t test level was found to be insignificant for both type of mines, indicating that the WBV exposure is not dependent on the type of mine but is dependent on the working condition and type of HEMM in operation.