Vibration experienced through a vehicle seat is known as whole body vibration. Prolonged exposure to this type of vibration can result in:
- bone damage
- lower back pain
- nausea
- stomach and digestive conditions or
- variations in blood pressure.
Anti-vibration seats and seat pads can reduce the occurrence of vibration experienced during driving and thus help to reduce the effects of whole body vibration. In order to reduce vibration a cushion can be added to the existing seat, ergonomic seats can be installed or anti-vibration seat suspension systems can be installed onto a vehicle.
Workplace solutions and adjustments
Those people who are more at risk of exposure to whole body vibration include operators and passengers of:
- construction equipment
- forklifts
- mining machinery
- off-road vehicles
- tractors.
There are a number of other methods that can assist in reducing whole body vibration when either driving or a passenger within vehicles at work including:
isolating and reducing the vibration before it reaches the seat, for example, reducing vibration from other engine or vehicle components
- modifying the vehicle’s suspension
- regular vehicle maintenance
- job rotation to minimise seated time within vehicles
- ensuring regular breaks are taken to rotate from the seated position.
When considering anti-vibration products the following links may be useful:
References
Australian Standards 2001, AS 2670.1, Evaluation of Human Exposure to Whole Body Vibration, Part 1: General Requirements, Australian Standards, Sydney.
OHS Reps @ Work (no date specified), Plant: Vibration, OHS Reps @ Work, Melbourne, viewed 2 June 2011, http://www.ohsrep.org.au/hazards/plant/vibration/index.cfm.
Vipac Engineers and Scientists Ltd. 2001, Anti-vibration seat suspension system, Vipac Engineers and Scientists Ltd., Melbourne, viewed 2 June 2011, http://www.vipac.com.au/mining-seat-suspension.html.