Whole-Body Vibration in Farming: Background Document for Creating a Simplified Procedure to Determine Agricultural Tractor Vibration Comfort

Maurizio Cutini, Massimo Brambilla and Carlo Bisaglia
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Maurizio Cutini: CREA Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing, via Milano 43, 24047 Treviglio (BG), Italy; massimo.brambilla@crea.gov.it (M.B.)
Massimo Brambilla: CREA Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing, via Milano 43, 24047 Treviglio (BG), Italy; massimo.brambilla@crea.gov.it (M.B.)
Carlo Bisaglia: CREA Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing, via Milano 43, 24047 Treviglio (BG), Italy; massimo.brambilla@crea.gov.it (M.B.)

Agriculture, 2017, vol. 7, issue 10, 1-20

Abstract: Operator exposure to high levels of whole-body vibration (WBV) presents risks to health and safety and it is reported to worsen or even cause back injuries. Work activities resulting in operator exposure to whole-body vibration have a common onset in off-road work such as farming. Despite the wide variability of agricultural surface profiles, studies have shown that with changing soil profile and tractor speed, the accelerations resulting from ground input present similar spectral trends. While on the one hand such studies confirmed that tractor WBV emission levels are very dependent upon the nature of the operation performed, on the other, irrespective of the wide range of conditions characterizing agricultural operations, they led researchers to set up a possible and realistic simplification and standardization of tractor driver comfort testing activities. The studies presented herewith indicate the usefulness, and the possibility, of developing simplified procedures to determine agricultural tractor vibration comfort. The results obtained could be used effectively to compare tractors of the same category or a given tractor when equipped with different seats, suspension, tyres, etc.

Keywords: lower back pain; safety; comfort; test track; whole-body vibration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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