Comparison of Whole-Body Vibration Exposures When Operating a City Bus with an Active, Passive and Static Suspension Bus Seat. (November 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Johnson, Peter W.; Ibbotson-Brown, Jennifer; Menocal, Serf; Parison, Jim
• Is Part Of: Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society ... Annual Meeting. Volume 63:Part 1(2019)
• Page Start: 1052
• Page End: 1056
• Publication Date: 2019-11
• Subjects: Human engineering -- Congresses; 620.8205
• DOI: 10.1177/1071181319631472
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1541-9312

Abstract

Municipal bus drivers have a high rate of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMDSs) and Whole Body Vibration (WBV) has been shown to be a risk factor associated with WMSDs. Recently, active suspension seats, which cut WBV exposures in half relative to the current, industry-standard air suspension seats, have become commercially available for use in buses. This study compared WBV exposures while bus drivers operated a municipal bus over a standardized test route using three different types of seats: 1) an active (electromechanical) suspension bus seat, 2) a passive (air) suspension bus seat, and 3) a static (suspension-less) bus seat. Similar to their performance in semi-trucks, the active suspension seat reduced bus driver WBV exposures between 35% to 61% relative to the passive suspension and static seats. Based on these preliminary results, the active suspension bus seat appears to have the potential to substantially reduce a bus driver's exposure to WBV.