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Nasarwanji MF, Pollard J, Porter W. An analysis of injuries to front-end loader operators during ingress and egress. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ERGONOMICS 2018; 65:84-92. [PMID: 29780192 PMCID: PMC5956539 DOI: 10.1016/j.ergon.2017.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Slips, trips, and falls from mobile mining equipment have been documented for decades. However, little research has been conducted to determine the events precipitating these incidents during ingress or egress. This study examined slips, trips, and falls sustained during ingress or egress from front-end loaders to determine the frequencies of factors that may contribute to injuries. Non-fatal injuries, when getting on or off of front-end wheel loaders specifically, were identified, coded, and analyzed from the Mine Safety and Health Administration's accidents, injuries, and illnesses database. Overall trends, events that precipitated the injury, injuries sustained, contributing factors, location of the individual, and equipment characteristics were analyzed. More incidents occurred during egress (63%); and egress is believed to be more hazardous than ingress. Foot slips were the most common event that precipitated the incident and the leading cause of these was contaminants on the equipment. Misstep, loss of footing, and step on/in related incidents were more common during egress and are likely due to the operator's reduced visibility when descending a ladder facing the equipment, limiting their ability to detect hazards. Egress also makes an operator less capable of avoiding unsafe ground conditions as indicated by the significant number of step on/in injuries occurring on the ground during egress. Most of the front-end loaders associated with the incidents were found to have bottom rungs with flexible rails, which may also increase fall risk during egress due to inconsistent rung heights and lengthy transition areas from the ground, through the flexible-railed rungs, to the rungs with rigid rails. Recommendations are provided to reduce the risk for slips, trips, and falls from mobile mining equipment.
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Sammonds GM, Mansfield NJ, Fray M. Improving long term driving comfort by taking breaks - How break activity affects effectiveness. APPLIED ERGONOMICS 2017; 65:81-89. [PMID: 28802463 DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2017.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Revised: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 05/20/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
During long duration journeys, drivers are encouraged to take regular breaks. The benefits of breaks have been documented for safety; breaks may also be beneficial for comfort. The activity undertaken during a break may influence its effectiveness. Volunteers completed 3 journeys on a driving simulator. Each 130 min journey included a 10 min break after the first hour. During the break volunteers either stayed seated, left the simulator and sat in an adjacent room, or took a walk on a treadmill. The results show a reduction in driver discomfort during the break for all 3 conditions, but the effectiveness of the break was dependent on activity undertaken. Remaining seated in the vehicle provided some improvement in comfort, but more was experienced after leaving the simulator and sitting in an adjacent room. The most effective break occurred when the driver walked for 10 min on a treadmill. The benefits from taking a break continued until the end of the study (after a further hour of driving), such that comfort remained the best after taking a walk and worst for those who remained seated. It is concluded that taking a break and taking a walk is an effective method for relieving driving discomfort.
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Affiliation(s)
- George M Sammonds
- Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ, UK; Loughborough Design School, Loughborough University, LE11 3TU, UK
| | - Neil J Mansfield
- Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ, UK; Loughborough Design School, Loughborough University, LE11 3TU, UK; Department of Engineering, Nottingham Trent University, NG11 8NS, UK.
| | - Mike Fray
- Loughborough Design School, Loughborough University, LE11 3TU, UK
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Chi F, Zhou J, Zhang Q, Wang Y, Huang P. Avoiding the Health Hazard of People from Construction Vehicles: A Strategy for Controlling the Vibration of a Wheel Loader. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2017; 14:ijerph14030275. [PMID: 28282849 PMCID: PMC5369111 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph14030275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Revised: 01/15/2017] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The vibration control of a construction vehicle must be carried out in order to meet the aims of sustainable environmental development and to avoid the potential human health hazards. In this paper, based on market feedback, the driver seat vibration of a type of wheel loader in the left and right direction, is found to be significant over a certain speed range. In order to find abnormal vibration components, the order tracking technique (OTT) and transmission path analysis (TPA) were used to analyze the vibration sources of the wheel loader. Through this analysis, it can be seen that the abnormal vibration comes from the interaction between the tire tread and the road, and this is because the vibration was amplified by the cab mount, which was eventually transmitted to the cab seat. Finally, the seat vibration amplitudes were decreased by up to 50.8%, after implementing the vibration reduction strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Chi
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China.
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China.
- Shandong Lingong Construction Machinery Co., Ltd., Linyi 276004, China.
| | - Jun Zhou
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China.
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China.
| | - Qi Zhang
- Shandong Lingong Construction Machinery Co., Ltd., Linyi 276004, China.
| | - Yong Wang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China.
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China.
| | - Panling Huang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China.
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China.
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Caffaro F, Mirisola A, Cavallo E. Safety signs on agricultural machinery: Pictorials do not always successfully convey their messages to target users. APPLIED ERGONOMICS 2017; 58:156-166. [PMID: 27633209 DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2016.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2015] [Revised: 06/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the extent to which a sample of Italian users comprehended safety pictorials used on agricultural machinery. A questionnaire with 12 safety pictorials was administered to 248 users of agricultural machinery. For each of the pictorials, the participants were asked to select the most appropriate description of four written choices. The investigated safety pictorials were, in general, not well comprehended. Two different classes of participants were identified, each with a different level of comprehension. The participants with better comprehension were characterized by the regular use of agricultural machinery and frequent previous exposure to pictorials. The need for training courses focusing on safety pictorials and their meanings, as well as the need for improvement to the pictorials themselves to make them more easily comprehended, is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Caffaro
- Institute for Agricultural and Earthmoving Machines (IMAMOTER), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Strada delle Cacce, 73, 10135, Torino, Italy
| | - Alberto Mirisola
- Department of Psychological, Pedagogical and Educational Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, ed. 15, 90128, Palermo, Italy
| | - Eugenio Cavallo
- Institute for Agricultural and Earthmoving Machines (IMAMOTER), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Strada delle Cacce, 73, 10135, Torino, Italy.
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Reiman A, Sormunen E, Morris D. Ergonomics in the arctic - a study and checklist for heavy machinery in open pit mining. Work 2016; 55:643-653. [PMID: 27792027 DOI: 10.3233/wor-162425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Heavy mining vehicle operators at arctic mines have a high risk of discomfort, musculoskeletal disorders and occupational accidents. There is a need for tailored approaches and safety management tools that take into account the specific characteristics of arctic work environments. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to develop a holistic evaluation tool for heavy mining vehicles and operator well-being in arctic mine environments. METHODS Data collection was based on design science principles and included literature review, expert observations and participatory ergonomic sessions. RESULTS As a result of this study, a systemic checklist was developed and tested by eight individuals in a 350-employee mining environment. CONCLUSIONS The checklist includes sections for evaluating vehicle specific ergonomic and safety aspects from a technological point of view and for checking if the work has been arranged so that it can be performed safely and fluently from an employee's point of view.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arto Reiman
- Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland.,University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Erja Sormunen
- Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Drew Morris
- Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland.,Clemson University, Department of Psychology, Clemson, SC, USA
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Caffaro F, Cavallo E. Comprehension of safety pictograms affixed to agricultural machinery: A survey of users. JOURNAL OF SAFETY RESEARCH 2015; 55:151-158. [PMID: 26683558 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsr.2015.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Revised: 03/17/2015] [Accepted: 08/27/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Pictograms affixed to agricultural machinery are important tools to reduce the occurrence of accidents and injuries when correctly noticed, comprehended, and followed. This study investigated the knowledge of safety pictograms used in agricultural machinery in a sample of farmers and farm workers and examined the factors influencing their comprehension. METHOD A questionnaire with 12 safety pictograms used for agricultural machinery was administered to 281 owners or users of agricultural machinery. For each of the pictograms, the participants had to select the most appropriate verbal description from among four choices. RESULTS The pictograms examined yielded poor comprehension scores, including warnings related to the most frequent accidents involving agricultural machinery. Familiarity with the pictograms and years of experience with agricultural machinery significantly increased users' comprehension of the meaning of the pictograms. CONCLUSIONS Specific training programs should be designed to draw attention to safety pictograms and to instill their meaning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Caffaro
- Institute for Agricultural and Earthmoving Machines (IMAMOTER), Italian National Research Council (CNR), Strada delle Cacce, 73, 10135 Torino, Italy
| | - Eugenio Cavallo
- Institute for Agricultural and Earthmoving Machines (IMAMOTER), Italian National Research Council (CNR), Strada delle Cacce, 73, 10135 Torino, Italy.
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Koushik Balaji K, Alphin MS. Computer-aided human factors analysis of the industrial vehicle driver cabin to improve occupational health. Int J Inj Contr Saf Promot 2015; 23:240-8. [PMID: 25720318 DOI: 10.1080/17457300.2014.992351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Industrial vehicle operator's solace and safety have gained significant consideration because of the increment in occupational health issues and accidents. The purpose of this work was to amend the design of the excavator driver cabin through human factor analysis. Thirty operators of excavators who were serving as subjects, were interviewed and identified that their wrist, upper arm and trunk were at a higher risk level while operating. Photograph of the operators was taken and the work environment was simulated. RULA (Rapid Upper Limb Assessment) and REBA (Rapid Entire Body Assessment) scoring was made on different simulated work posture of operators using CATIA V5 and UEAT1.8 softwares. Based on overall RULA and REBA scoring, it was found nearly 46% of the operators were operating at a high hazard level and needed investigation immediately, whereas 35% of operators were at a medium risk level and only 19% of operators were operating safely. The individual RULA and REBA scoring proved prevalence of discomfort in wrist, upper arm and trunk while operating. Identifying the optimized conditions to hold the control levers will help to reduce the operator strain. From the design optimization in excavators, the optimal conditions to hold the control lever is found to be 40cm for popliteal height, 60.51 cm for distance from elbow to ground and 15.07º for reach angle from the seat reference point.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Koushik Balaji
- a Department of Mechanical Engineering , SSN College of Engineering , Chennai , India
| | - M S Alphin
- a Department of Mechanical Engineering , SSN College of Engineering , Chennai , India
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