Vibration in operating heavy haul trucks in overburden mining

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Ergonomics
• Mining Engineering

Background:

• Heavy haul trucks are essential in overburden mining operations.
• Driver exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV) is a known occupational health concern.
• Existing ISO standards provide benchmarks for acceptable vibration levels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess if seat pan and driver vertebral vibrations in heavy haul trucks exceed ISO standards.
• To identify potential health risks associated with operating these vehicles in overburden mining.
• To analyze the influence of truck characteristics and driver factors on vibration exposure.

Main Methods:

• Triaxial accelerometers were used to measure vibration on the seat pan and at the C7 (cervical) and L3 (lumbar) vertebral levels of 14 drivers.
• Measurements were taken from new and old trucks of different makes and capacities during operation.
• Vibration data were compared against established ISO standards.

Main Results:

• Vertical seat pan vibration exceeded ISO standards in 8-9 instances (male/female).
• Lumbar vertebral vibration exceeded ISO standards in 11-12 instances (female/male).
• Cervical vertebral vibration exceeded ISO standards once (female); sagittal and coronal plane vibrations frequently exceeded standards.

Conclusions:

• Heavy haul trucks in overburden mining frequently generate vibrations exceeding ISO standards.
• This excessive vibration represents a significant health hazard for drivers.
• Driver body weight, truck segment, and measurement site significantly influenced vibration levels.