Effects of Multi-axial Whole Body Vibration Exposure on Postural Stability

摘要

Vehicle operators suffer from high rates of fall-related injuries especially during vehicle egress (Ahuja, Davis, & Wade, 2005) . Prolonged exposure to whole body vibration (WBV) is known to negatively affect postural stability (Vouriot et al., 2004), which may increase the risk of falls. Off-road vehicle operators in the mining industry are exposed to higher levels of WBV exposures with multi-axial components and impulsive shocks, as compared to on-road vehicle operators whose exposures are predominantly vertical (Jeong Ho Kim, Dennerlein, & Johnson, 2018; Mansfield & Lundstrom, 1999). As multi-axial WBV exposures can further affect postural stability, the off-road vehicle operators may be at a greater risk of falls than on-road vehicle operators. However, the relative impact of multi-axial WBV on postural stability (i.e., fall risks), as compared to vertical-dominant WBV, is not well understood. This study investigated the effects of vertical-dominant and multi-axial WBV on postural stability.