Forensic Engineering Analysis Of Whole-Body Vibration Effects On Garbage Truck Operators

Abstract

In Order To Reduce The Physical Strain On Garbage Truck Operators Involved In Dumping Large Cans Of Garbage Into Their Truck, New Truck Designs Were Developed To Mechanically Extend Out From The Side Of The Truck To Grab A Can And Rotate It Upward To Dump Into The Top Of The Truck. The Driver Operates The Mechanism From Within The Cab. However, The Motion Of The Arm In Accelerating The Can Up Over The Truck And Then Shaking It To Discharge Its Contents Caused Excessive Rotary Accelerations And Decelerations Around The Transverse Axis Of The Truck Resulting, In Turn, In Excessive Whole-Body Vibration On The Operators Who Frequently Complained Of Continuing, Often Severe, Headaches. To Quantify The Level Of Whole-Body Vibration On Operators And To Compare It With International Standards, A Tri-Axial Accelerometer Was Attached To A Drivers Helmet And Measurements Were Recorded. The Amount Of Measured Vibration Exceeded The Relevant Standards, Particularly At The Frequencies For Which Humans Are Particularly Vulnerable To Injury.