Using New Technologies to Characterize and Reduce Whole Body Vibration Exposures

描述(由申请人提供)：公共汽车和卡车司机代表了美国人口中的一大部分，他们历史上肌肉骨骼疾病的发生率很高，研究普遍表明，暴露在全身振动(WBV)和腰部疾病之间存在联系。冲击性WBV暴露最近被认为是下背部损伤的危险因素，现在已经有了测量和评估这些暴露的指南。我们假设，公交车司机的WBV暴露超过了ISO推荐的允许时间加权平均(TWA)和脉冲阈值水平，并可能因这些暴露而面临不利健康影响的风险。将通过同时收集传统的TWA和原始的、连续的脉冲式WBV暴露数据来测量和表征三轴WBV暴露。使用重复测量设计，让公交车司机在具有城市和高速公路组件的测试路线上行驶，也将确定与公交车、公交车座椅、公交车司机和路线相关的变异性和潜在暴露决定因素的各种组件。还将收集全球定位系统(GPS)数据，并将其与WBV暴露数据相结合，以便于识别与高平均TWA和脉冲WBV暴露相关的位置、速度和道路类型。这些信息可能导致行政控制(改变公交车的速度和/或路线，系统地改变路线类型)和/或工程控制(确定和触发街道维修的需要)，以减少WBV暴露。 公共卫生相关性：与公共健康的相关性：根据华盛顿州和美国劳工统计局收集的数据，运输业占美国人口的很大一部分，历史上肌肉骨骼疾病的发生率很高。研究普遍表明，暴露于全身振动与腰部疾病之间存在联系。脉冲暴露最近被认为是一种风险因素，现在有衡量和评估脉冲暴露的指南；然而，在这一大群工人中，这些脉冲暴露及其相关健康风险的程度，特别是与传统的时间加权平均暴露相结合，是未知的。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Bus and truck drivers represent a large segment of the US population which has historically had a high rate of musculoskeletal disorders, and research has generally shown that there is an association between exposure to Whole Body Vibration (WBV) and low back disorders. Impulsive WBV exposures have recently been recognized as a risk factor for low back injury, and guidelines for measurement and assessment of these exposures are now available. We hypothesize that bus drivers have WBV exposures that exceed the allowable time weighted average (TWA) and impulsive threshold levels recommended by ISO, and may be at risk of adverse health effects as a result of these exposures. Tri- axial WBV exposures will be measured and characterized by simultaneously collecting traditional TWA and raw, continuous impulsive WBV exposure data. Using a repeated measures design with bus drivers driving on a test route with both city and highway components, various components of variability and potential exposures determinants related to the bus, bus seat, the bus driver, and the route will also be identified. Global Positioning System (GPS) data will also be collected and integrated with the WBV exposure data to facilitate the identification of location, velocity and type of road associated with high average TWA and impulsive WBV exposures. This information may lead to administrative controls (alter speed and/or route of bus, systematically vary type of routes) and/or engineering controls (identify and trigger the need for street repair) to reduce WBV exposures. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Relevance to Public Health: According to data collected by both Washington State and the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the transportation industry represents a large segment of the US population which has historically had a high rate of musculoskeletal disorders. Research has generally shown that there is an association between exposure to whole body vibration and low back disorders. Impulsive exposures have recently been recognized as a risk factor and there are now guidelines for the measurement and assessment of impulsive exposures; however, the magnitude of these impulsive exposures and associated health risks, especially in combination with traditional time-weighted average exposures, is unknown in this large group of workers.