Straight Track #138 Abstract

AIHA Journal: Vol. 63, No. 4, Pp. 439–446

Eckardt Johanning, Siegfried Fischer, Eberhard Christ, and Paul Landsbergis -- Occupational and Environmental Health Science
Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Department of Community Medicine
Medical Arts Building, 650 Warren St., Albany, NY 12208

Benno Göres 
Institute for Occupational Safety (BIA, HVBG) Dep. Noise and Vibration
Alte Heerstrasse 111, 53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany 

INTRODUCTION

This study was conducted to assess whole-body vibration exposure of locomotive engineers in U.S. freight and passenger railroad locomotives during normal revenue service as part of an ergonomic health assessment. In addition, the effectiveness of vibration attenuation of different locomotive cab seats currently in use were studied. This investigation was prompted in part by the observation in an occupational specialty clinic, that a high number of locomotive engineers were reporting low-back complaints or back-related disabilities. There is a paucity of published data related to ergonomic factors and whole-body vibration exposure in the American railroad industry, which employs about 25,000 engineers (locomotive operators; not included are train conductors, who utilize similar seats in the locomotive cab). Little is known about the assessment of workplace conditions and factors in the U.S. railroad system that have been recognized by the National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOSH) as key occupational risk factors for low-back disorders such as whole-body vibration, besides other recognized factors such as lifting, forceful movement, heavy physical work, and awkward posture. The scientific evidence of recognized occupational risk factors and clinical approaches to low-back disorders have been reviewed elsewhere (Footnotes 1,2). The purpose of this study was to evaluate whole-body vibration exposure of locomotive engineers under normal operating conditions and comparing different locomotives, seats, and operating conditions.

Fixed guideway transport systems such as subway trains have been shown to have relatively high lateral vibration die to unique track-bound vehicle characteristics (Footnote 3). In the past, primarily vertical (z-axis) vibration measurements have been reported for a variety of road and off-road vehicles. (Footnotes 4-6) The current study utilized modern, state-of-art vibration measurements equipment and current measurement guidelines to assess whole-body vibration and shock exposure of seated locomotive engineers and to study the effectiveness of seat vibration dampening (vibration transfer function). There are two basic cab designs in use, the traditional cab with controls diagonal to the front/left of the operator (American Association of Railroad [AAR] control stand) and the modern cab with a control panel in front of the operator (i.e., desktop console in the new generation “wide body locomotive”), posing unique ergonomic challenges for the locomotive engineer regarding operational requirements and body posture (curvature and torsion of the spine). (Footnote 7) Depending on the control panel design, seats were attached to the floor or the right wall of the cab (cantilevered seat) to allow the operator seat adjustments and bi-directional use of the unit. Diesel-electric locomotive cab styles, design and general technical information have been described elsewhere in further detail. (Footnote 8)

ABSTRACT OF FINDINGS

Whole-body vibration exposure of locomotive engineers and the vibration attenuation of seats in 22 U.S. locomotives (built between 1959 and 2000) was studied during normal revenue service and following international measurement guidelines. Triaxial vibration measurements on the seat and on the floor were compared. In addition to the basic vibration evaluation, the vector sum, the maximum transient vibration value, the vibration dose value, and the vibration seat effective transmissibility factor were calculated. The power spectral densities are also reported. The factors generally indicated high levels of shocks. The mean seat transmissibility factor demonstrated a general ineffectiveness of any of the seat suspension systems. These data concludes that locomotive rides are characterized by relatively high shock content of the vibration signal in all directions. Locomotive vertical and lateral vibrations are similar, which appears to be characteristic for rail vehicles compared with many road/off-road vehicles. Tested locomotive cab seats currently in use (new or old) appear inadequate to reduce potentially harmful vibration and shocks transmitted to the seated operator, and older seats particularly lack basic ergonomic features regarding adjustability and postural support.

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