Can Exposure to Whole-body Vibration Affect the Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders in Operators of Construction Vehicles? A Study in Construction Projects

Background and Objective: Operators of construction vehicles are constantly exposed to whole-body vibration, which can lead to musculoskeletal disorders. Therefore, this study aimed at evaluating the effect of exposure to whole-body vibration and its relation to musculoskeletal disorders among these operators who work at construction projects. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted based on a descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional design. In total, 89 operators who operated 6 types of heavy vehicles (i.e., Bulldozer, Tipper Truck, Heavy Vibrator Roller, Light Vibrator Roller, Hammer drill, and Loader) in two construction projects were included in this study. The vibration indices (i.e., effective acceleration, peak factor, and vibrational dose) were measured according to ISO 2631 and SVAN 958 vibrometer to evaluate the exposure rate of the whole body to vibration. Moreover, the Body Map Questionnaire was employed to assess the status of musculoskeletal disorders. The data were analyzed using Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multivariate regression. A P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The results of this study showed that according to occupational exposure limit standard, the whole-body exposure to vibration from Bulldozer (2.25 m/s2), Tipper Truck (0.98 m/s2), Heavy Vibration Rollers (3.20 m/s2), Light Vibration Rollers (3.45 m/s2), Hammer drill (4.11 m/s2), and Loader (1.2 m/s2) were more than the daily exposure limit. The results also revealed that exposure to vibration correlated significantly with underlying factors and musculoskeletal disorders. Conclusion: The present study confirmed the potential health hazards threatening the operators of construction vehicles. Therefore, it is suggested to implement technical and management strategies, including installation of appropriate vibration insulators on seats, holding training sessions, encouraging the individuals with long exposure experience to vibration to change their job, rotating work schedules, as well as using gloves, flooring, and vibration damping pads, and implementing supervising protocols on the performance of the operators.