HIGH ACCELERATION EVENTS: AN INTRODUCTION AND REVIEW OF EXPERT OPINION
✍ Scribed by J. Sandover
- Publisher
- Elsevier Science
- Year
- 1998
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 241 KB
- Volume
- 215
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0022-460X
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✦ Synopsis
This investigation was designed as a rapid review of available knowledge on high acceleration events in practice. The aim was to consider if the risks associated with regular exposure justifies further investigation of the problem. Three linked investigations were carried out: to gather published information, to gather expert opinion, and to analyse available vehicle records. The literature showed that although no fully acceptable epidemiological data are available, exposure to high levels of vibration and shock probably increases the risk of back problems. Experts considered high acceleration events important as regards the health of drivers of certain vehicles. They though that more research into the effects on health is needed but comfort and epidemiological investigations have some severe practical drawbacks as well as advantages. More biodynamic research is needed to engender plausible hypotheses on the effects on health before consideration of further epidemiological research and generation of dose-response relationships. Vehicle measurements confirmed information from the literature that BS6841 [1] Wb weighted r.m.s. values over 4 s of up to 5•8 m/s 2 and unweighted peak values of at least 20 m/s 2 occur with Wb weighted peak values of up to 15 m/s 2 and sometimes nearly 30 m/s 2 . Daily Vibration Dose Values of the order of 20 ms -1•75 are quite probable. Measured accelerations suggested some common features of high acceleration events. Many are of an oscillatory nature with frequencies of the order of 2-3 Hz, whilst large magnitude transient accelerations of the order of 25-50 ms duration also occur in certain situations. The long term weighted r.m.s. value does not reflect the presence of high acceleration events that occur once every few minutes and may underestimate the health risk.