Whole Body Vibration Exposures among professional Drivers

Occupational Ergonomics and Biomechanics Laboratory

Be a part of an important research study!

“Effects of Multi-axial Whole Body Vibrations on Postural Stability”

Researchers from the College of Public Health and Human Sciences at Oregon State University are planning to do a study measuring how different seat suspensions attenuate exposure to whole body vibration and affect biomechanical exposures and postural stability. We hope the results of this study will help us evaluate the current designs and potentially lead to the identification of additional design modifications to further promote occupational health of drivers.

Details: Effects of Multi-axial Whole Body Vibrations on Postural Stability

Exposure to whole body vibration has a strong association with various musculoskeletal disorders, especially low back pain. Through lab- and field-based research, we investigate the effect of multi-axial vibration on vehicle operator’s general and musculoskeletal disorders. Our goal is to advance the science of whole-body vibration in a real world setting for an ultimate goal of improving health and well-being of professional drivers. Past and current research has been funded by National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Washington State’s Safety and Health Investment Project (SHIP), and Bose Corporation.

On-going and Recent Research Projects

"Effects of Multi-axial Whole Body Vibrations on Postural Stability" to quantify the effects of occupational WBV exposures on postural balance and fall-relate injury risks in professional vehicle operators.
- Sponsor: NIOSH (Project Budget: $330,044; Project period: 09/15/19 - 09/14/22)
- PIs: Jay Kim and Divya Srinivasan
“Systematic Evaluation of Multi-axial Suspension to Reduce Whole Body Vibration Exposures in Heavy Equipment Mining Vehicle Operators” to determine the efficacy of different engineering controls (mining vehicle seat suspensions) in reducing the multi-axial WBV exposures in mining vehicles and the associated biomechanical loading on the musculoskeletal system.
- Sponsor: Alpha Foundation (Project Budget: $361,407; Project period: 01/01/2017 - 05/01/2021)
- PI: Jay Kim
"Evaluating the Effects of Multi-axial Whole Body Vibration Exposure on Postural Stability in Mining Equipment Vehicle Operators" to determine whether the effects of mining vehicle's WBV exposures on postural balance and fall-relate injury risks are different between vertical-dominant and multi-axial WBV exposures.
- Sponsor: Alpha Foundation (Project Budget: $148,270; Project period: 08/01/2017 - 10/31/2020)
- PIs: Jay Kim and Divya Srinivasan
"Effects of Whole Body Vibration Exposure on Physiological Stresses in Mining Heavy Equipment Vehicle Operators" to quantify the relative impacts of different types of WBV exposures (vertical dominant vs. multi-axial WBV) on physiological stress.
- Sponsor: Alpha Foundation (Project Budget: $150,000; Project period: 08/01/2017 - 10/31/2020)
- PIs: Jay Kim and Sean Newsom
“Randomized Controlled Trial of Whole Body Vibration in Truck Driver” to determine whether substantially reducing WBV exposures has an effect on low back pain outcomes.
- Sponspor: NIOSH (Project Budget: $2.1M; Project period: 09/01/2013 - 04/30/2020)
- PIs: Jack Dennerlein and Pete Johnson, OSU PI: Jay Kim

Relevant publications

Kia K, Bae H, Johnson PW, Dennerlein JT, Kim JH "Evaluation of Vertical and Multi-axial Suspension Seats for Reducing Vertical-dominant and Multi-axial Whole Body Vibration and Associated Neck and Low Back Joint Torque and Muscle Activity" , Ergonomics. 2022:1-29.

Pan-Zagorski W, Johbson PW, Pereny MA, Kim JH "Automotive Seat Comfort and Vibration Performance Evaluation in Dynamic Settings", Applied Sciences. 2022;12(8):4033. doi:10.3390/app12084033.

Kia K, Johnson PW, Kim JH The effects of different seat suspension types on occupants' physiologic responses and task performance: implications for autonomous and conventional vehicles. Applied Ergonomics. 2021;93:103380. doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2021.103380.

Dennerlein JT, Cavallari JM, Kim JH, Green NH "The effects of a new seat suspension system on whole body vibration exposure and driver low back pain and disability: Results from a randomized controlled trial in truck drivers", Applied Ergonomics. 2021;98:103588. doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2021.

Kia K, Fitch SM, Newsom, SA, and Kim, JH, “Effect of whole-body vibration exposures on physiological stresses: Mining heavy equipment applications”, Applied Ergonomics, vol. 85, p. 103065, 2020.

Park JH, Kia K, Srinivasan D, Kim JH Postural balance effects from exposure to multi-axial whole-body vibration in mining vehicle operation. Applied Ergonomics. 2020;91:103307. doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2020.103307.

Konda RR, Ryu JC, Kim, JH, “Three-Dimensional Global Acceleration Estimation in the Presence of Rotation Using an Inertial Measurement Unit for Whole Body Vibration Studies.”, Int J Occup Saf Ergon, pp. 1-22, 2019.

Kim JH, Zigman, M, Dennerlein, JT, and Johnson, PW, “A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Truck Seat Intervention: Part 2—Associations Between Whole-Body Vibration Exposures and Health Outcomes”, Annals of Work Exposures and Health, 2018.

Johnson PW, Zigman, M, Ibbotson, J, Dennerlein, JT, and Kim, JH, “A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Truck Seat Intervention: Part 1—Assessment of Whole Body Vibration Exposures”, Annals of Work Exposures and Health, 2018.

Kim, JH, Marin, LS, and Dennerlein, JT, “Evaluation of commercially available seat suspensions to reduce whole body vibration exposures in mining heavy equipment vehicle operators.”, Appl Ergon, vol. 71, pp. 78-86, 2018.

Kim JH, Dennerlein, JT, and Johnson, PW (2018) “The effect of a multi-axis suspension on whole body vibration exposures and physical stress in the neck and low back in agricultural tractor applications”, Applied Ergonomics, vol. 68, pp. 80 - 89.

Kim JH, Zigman, M, Aulck, LS, Ibbotson, JA, Dennerlein, JT, and Johnson, PW (2016) “Whole Body Vibration Exposures and Health Status among Professional Truck Drivers: A Cross-sectional Analysis”, Annals of Occupational Hygiene, vol. 60, no. 8, pp. 936 - 948.