An iOS Application for Evaluating Whole-body Vibration Within a Workplace Risk Management Process

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Biomedical Engineering
• Human Factors Engineering

Background:

• Effective workplace management of whole-body vibration (WBV) exposure necessitates systematic data collection.
• High cost and complexity of commercial measurement devices hinder routine data acquisition in workplaces.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a cost-effective iOS application for measuring WBV exposure.
• To assess the utility of an iPod Touch-based application as a screening tool for WBV risks.

Main Methods:

• An iOS application (WBV) was developed for an iPod Touch to measure WBV.
• Simultaneous WBV measurements were taken using the iOS app and a commercial device across various vehicles and mobile plant.
• 98 paired measurements were collected at a surface coal mine.

Main Results:

• The iOS application demonstrated a 95% confidence interval of +/- 0.077 m/s(2) r.m.s. constant error for vertical direction.
• The application accurately identified situations within the ISO2631.1 health guidance caution zone.
• Qualitative features of frequency spectra were successfully reproduced.

Conclusions:

• The low-cost, simple iOS application can serve as a valuable screening tool for WBV exposure.
• Facilitates identification of workplace scenarios potentially leading to musculoskeletal disorders.
• Enhances accessibility of WBV data collection for improved occupational health management.