Assessment of whole-body vibration exposure using ISO2631- 1:2008 and ISO2631-5:2018 standards.

Whole-body vibration (WVB) exposure may likely become an occupational health problem for drivers of agricultural machinery. It is well established that frequent and regular exposition to WBV and shocks may cause health and safety risks to the driver (such as musculoskeletal disorders, low back pain or degenerative changes in the lumbar spine). The main source of WBV is the seat-body interface of drivers, although other important transmission points are the backrest, hands and feet. In this regard, Directive 2002/44/EC in the European Union establishes daily exposure limits with the aim of protecting workers from risks derived from vibrations. For this purpose, the different standards define some methods to assess the WBV exposure of workers and establishes several Health Guidance Caution Zones (HGCZ) associated with boundaries. This study presents a comparison of the assessment provided for both ISO 2631-1:2008 and ISO 2631-5:2018 Standards in the context of agricultural tractor operations. To accomplish so, predicted health risk associated with agricultural tractor operations have been determined and compared with the HGCZ boundaries. In the analysis we have considered different surface conditions of displacement and speed and finally some conclusions are drawn in terms of the different factors involved.