Evaluation of forklift trucks operated in dockyards for reducing exposure to whole-body vibration

Abstract

Our preceding study revealed that many fork-lift truck drivers in Japanese dockyards suffer from fatigue symptoms such as low back pain (LBP). It has been suggested that exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV) is a cause of their LBP. Using forklift models manufactured from 1982 to 2000, we measured and evaluated the vibration of forklift trucks operated in dockyards, adopting experimental procedures based on the European Standard. We investigated various factors related to WBV, with the main focus on attenuating seat vibration. This study showed that (1) the seats did not attenuate vibration in the vertical direction, (2) forklift trucks and their seats had not improved in terms of WBV attenuation for a decade, (3) some forklift trucks in which the seat suspension could no longer be adjusted to the driver's weight continued to be used without being repaired, and impractical seat adjustment methods were adopted, and (4) the seats did not attenuate vertical vibration well in the most undesirable frequency range. We conclude that forklift trucks and especially their seats should urgently be improved with regard to WBV attenuation in order to prevent LBP in forklift truck drivers.