DEVELOPMENT OF A PROTOCOL FOR EPIDEMIOLOGAL STUDIES OF WHOLE-BODY VIBRATION AND MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS OF THE LOWER BACK

✍ Scribed by M.L. Magnusson; M.H. Pope; C.T.J. Hulshof; M. Bovenzi

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 133 KB
• Volume: 215
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-460X
• DOI: 10.1006/jsvi.1998.1697

✦ Synopsis

It seems evident from a large number of studies that there is a positive relationship between exposure to whole body vibration (WBV) and the occurrence of low back pain. There are existing standards for evaluating the human exposure to WBV, which are based on other factors than the effect of musculoskeletal disorders. Several national and international standards also exist for evaluating human exposure to WBV. The exposure limit values or health guidance caution zones included in some of these standards are not or only to a limited extent based on systematic epidemiological investigations. It has not yet been possible to establish a clear exposure-response relationship. There are many confounding or contributing factors which influence the hazards to workers caused by exposure to WBV. Reliable methods for the detection and prevention of injury due to vibration exposure at work, alone or in combination with other risk factors, need to be implemented. The aim of this paper was to design a protocol and a questionnaire for conducting collaborative studies of WBV and musculoskeletal back disorders. The protocol will be tested in a pilot study before it will be used in multi-center studies.