The Effects of Whole-Body Vibration

172 Pages·1986·9.9 MB·English

by  Professor Dr. Heinrich Dupuis

H. Dupuis G. Zerlett
The Effects
of Whole-Body Vibration
Foreword by H.E. von Gierke
With 54 Figures
Springer-Verlag
Berlin Heidelberg New York Tokyo
Professor Dr. Heinrich Dupuis
Institute of Occupational and Social Medicine
Director of the Ergonomics Working Group
Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz,
Federal Republic of Germany
Dr. Georg Zerlett
Main Department of Occupational Medicine
Director of the Department ofIndustrial Medical Services
Rheinische Braunkohlenwerke AG, Cologne,
Federal Republic of Germany
ISBN-13: 978-3-540-16584-2 e-ISBN-13: 978-3-642-71245-6
DOl: 10.1007/978-3-642-71245-6
Library of Congress Cataloging·in·Publication Data
Dupuis, Heinrich. The effects of whole-body vibration.
Translation of Beanspruchung des Menschen durch mechanische Schwingungen.
Bibliography: p.
I. Vibration--Physiological effect. I. Zerlett, Georg, 1927-
II. Title, QP82.2.V5D8713 1986 612'.01445 86-6772
This work is subject to·copyright. All rights are reserved. whether the whole or part of the material
is concerned, specifically those of translation, reprinting, re-use of illustrations, broadcasting,
reproduction by photocopying machine or similar means. and storage in data banks. Under § 54
of the German Copyright Law where copies are made for other than private use, a fee is payable
to "Verwertungsgesellschaft Wort", Munich.
<D by Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1986
The use of registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply. even in the
absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws
and regulations and therefore free for general use.
2119/3145-543210
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would especially like to express their gratitude to:
Drs. W. Christ, L. Vogt, and E. Hartung for their support and
cooperation; medical technicians, Mrs. W. Gilsdorf and Mrs. U.
Meyersen, for their help in building up the technical library on vi
bration; Mrs. S. L. Faatz for the translation; Professor H. von Gierke
and Dr. 1. Sandover for correcting the specialized terminology
and technical sections of the translation; and all other colleagues
who have contributed to the preparation of this book.
Foreword to the English Edition
It is with great pleasure and satisfaction that I welcome the English
edition of The Effects of Whole-Body Vibration by Drs. Dupuis and
Zerlett. Although it might appear that human vibration exposure is
a relatively limited specialized field, it is impressive to see how
many investigations have been conducted in various countries over
the last 50 years and to note the different reasons for which they
were undertaken. The results are that they can be found not only in
many languages but also in many different scientific and technical
fields from architectural, railroad and automobile magazines to
occupational medicine, aerospace medicine, human factors, en
gineering mechanics, and many other journals. The different
national languages do not prevent communication between re
searchers and users of the data as much as do the different technical
languages and different goals of past investigations in this field.
A critical monograph, summarizing the field, with a senior
author who actively contributed to this research over the last quar
ter century, is therefore of outstanding value. It should contribute to
the cross-fertilization of the fields involved and provide the basis
for interdisciplinary cross-fertilization and understanding. The
English translation, no doubt, will contribute to international com
munication and collaboration by bringing many not easily accessible
papers, primarily German and European contributions, to the at
tention of English-speaking colleagues. That the reporting has gone
through the critical - but naturally sometimes unavoidably sub
jective - interpretation of the authors is no drawback and might
stimulate readers to study the original references.
Who might benefit from reading the book or using it as a refer
ence? With elementary introductions to all subfields such as
physiology, medicine, physics and mechanics, it should be useful to
researchers and practitioners in fields such as occupational and
orthop,edic medicine; health professionals and industrial hygiene
engineers; design engineers in the aviation, automotive, ship build
ing, agricultural machinery, personal protection industry; human
engineers; ergonomists and many other disciplines. Although the
relationship between the effects of whole-body vibration, impact
exposure and crash protection research is outside the scope of this
book, it is obvious that many chapters of the book can make valu
able contributions to such neighboring areas of biodynamics.
It is hoped that this monograph will contribute to one area of
particular interest to this writer: national and international vibra-
VIII Foreword to the English Edition
tion exposure standards with respect to health, increased working
efficiency and improved comfort. The communication opened up
by this book should prove very valuable.
Yellow Springs, Ohio, January 1986
cIr:-,-
'\f
Henning E. von Gierke
Ph. D" Engineering
Director, Biodynamics and Bioengineering Division
Armstrong Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory
Clinical Professor, Department of Community Medicine
Wright State University
Chairman, Subcommittee "Human Exposure to Vibration
and Shock" ISO/TC I08/SC4
Preface to the German Edition
The observations made by Paracelsus concerning the dose-effect
relationship of poison are generally just as applicable to health
threatening vibration. With regard to kind, intensity, and duration
of the vibration, the "dose" is decisive as to whether the conse
quences are detrimental, unmeaningful, or tolerable with respect to
health. This law of nature determines the tasks and goals of those
whose aim is to safeguard health. Researchers worldwide have been
occupying themselves with this many-faceted question for some
time: how mechanical vibration affects the human organism and at
what point damage occurs. If prevention in occupational medicine
is to succeed, it is most important that the gaps in our present
knowledge be closed, for if technical preventive measures are to be
effective and preventive means in occupational medicine successful,
they must be based on reliable and complete findings.
Whenever many independent researchers have worked in a
given field for a long period, a comprehensive intermediate as
sessment is appropriate to evaluate the level achieved and the
direction the research is going. In the area of hand-arm vibration,
this evaluation has already been carried out, and the response
aroused by this particular research report had led to a demand for
a comparable evaluation of the research results on whole-body
vibration.
This report presents clearly and exhaustively the current status
of international knowledge, as well as the questions that remain to
be answered. The authors, themselves recognized specialists active
in the research in question, have made a significant contribution to
the dissemination of existing knowledge and to the clinical orienta
tion of ongoing research.
Since the quality of the report and the international nature of
the subject matter guarantees worldwide interest, it is assumed that
publication in English will meet with wide approval.
This research project was financially supported by the Haupt
verband der gewerblichen Berufsgenossenschaften e.V. (Central As
sociation of the Industrial Injuries Insurance Institutes).
Bonn, May 1984
von Hassel R. Hopf Dr. Waterman
Chairman Deputy Chairman General Manager
Board of Directors Board of Directors Central Association
Table of Contents
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2. Terminology and Definitions. . . . . . . . . .. 4
3. Stress-Strain Concept in Whole-Body Vibration . .. 7
4. Work-Related Stress from Whole-Body Vibration 9
5. Acute Effects of Mechanical Vibration . . . . 12
5.1 Biological Prevention and Control Mechanisms
Against Mechanical Vibration . . . . . . 12
5.2 Biodynamic Reaction on Vibration .... 14
5.2.1 Models of the Human Body under Vibration 14
5.2.2 Vibration Behavior when Walking and Running 20
5.2.3 Vibration Behavior in Standing Posture 22
5.2.3.1 Vertical (z-Axis) Excitation ..... 22
5.2.3.2 Horizontal (x-Axis, y-Axis) Excitation . 22
5.2.4 Vibration Behavior in Reclining Posture 23
5.2.4.1 Vertical (x-Axis) Excitation . . . . 24
5.2.4.2 Horizontal (y-Axis, z-Axis) Excitation 25
5.2.5 Vibration Behavior in Sitting Posture 26
5.2.5.1 Vertical (z-Axis) Excitation .... 27
5.2.5.2 Horizontal (x-Axis, y-Axis) Excitation 29·
5.2.6 'Vibration Behavior of the Spinal Column 31
5.2.7 Vibration Behavior of Internal Organs 39
5.2.8 Vibration Behavior of the Eye . . . . . 44
5.2.9 Review of the Resonance Frequencies of Various
Parts of the Body ...... . 49
5.3 Changes in Physiological Functions 50
5.3.1 Muscle Activity . . . . . 51
5.3.2 Heart-Circulatory Function 54
5.3.3 Respiratory Function 57
XII Table of Contents
5.3.4 Vegetative and Biochemical Reactions 60
5.35 Sensory Function 63
5.3.5.1 Acoustic Perception 64
5.3.5.2 Equilibrium Regulation 65
5.3.5.3 Kinetosis ..... 66
5.3.5.4 Visual Perception 69
5.4 Sensorimotor Performance 75
5.5 Subjective Perception 77
5.5.1 Vibration Perception and Vibration Sensation
Memory ............ . 78
5.5.2 Vibration Perception in the Sitting and
Standing Postures ........ . 79
5.5.3 Vibration Perception in Reclining Posture 84
6. Chronic Effects of Whole-Body Vibration . 87
6.1 Methodological Problems ..... 87
6.2 Work-Related Diseases in National and
International Regulations . . . . . . 88
6.3 Vibration Effects on the Skeletal System
in Animal Experiments ...... 90
6.4 Epidemiological Research on Professional
Groups Exposed to Vibration 91
6.4.1 Diseases of the Spinal Column 91
6.4.1.1 Tractor Drivers ...... 92
6.4.1.2 Truck and Bus Drivers 97
6.4.1.3 Drivers of Earth-Moving Equipment 99
6.4.1.4 Railroad, Ship and Airplane Crews, and Employees
in the Concrete Industry ....... 106
6.4.1.5 Prevalence of Pathological Changes in the
Spinal Column (Summary) ...... 108
6.4.1.6 An Occupational Medicine Appraisal of Changes in
the Spinal Column Arising from Vibration Exposure 110
6.4.2 Digestive System Diseases 114
6.4.2.1 Tractor Drivers ......... 114
6.4.2.2 Truck and Bus Drivers ...... 116
6.4.2.3 Drivers of Earth-Moving Equipment 117
6.4.2.4 Employees in the Concrete Industry 119
6.4.2.5 Prevalence of Pathological Findings in the
Digestive System (Summary) ..... .119
6.4.2.6 An Occupational Medicine Appraisal of Digestive
Disorders Arising from Vibration Exposure 119
7. The Influence of Particular Modes of Vibration 121
7.1 Vibration Occurring Simultaneously
in Several Directions ............. 121
Table of Contents XIII
7.2 Mixtures of Periodic Vibration, Random Vibration
and Vibration Containing Shocks 122
7.2.1 Mixtures of Periodic Vibration 122
7.2.2 Random Vibration 123
7.2.3 Vibration Containing Shocks 124
7.3 Rotational Vibration 125
7.4 Exposure Duration and Rest Pauses 126
8. Preventive Measures 129
8.1 Engineering Methods 129
8.2 Prevention by Work Organization 130
8.3 Personal Prevention 131
8.4 Prevention by Occupational Medicine 131
9. Laws, Regulations, Standards, and Guidelines for the
Protection of Man against Mechanical Vibration 133
9.1 Occupational Diseases 133
9.2 Criteria for the Evaluation of Risk from
Mechanical Vibration and the Establishment
of Exposure Guidelines 134
9.3 Guidelines for the Measurement and Evaluation
of Vibration 135
9.4 Medical Examinations of New Employees and
Regular Health Check ups 138
9.5 Technical and Organizational Measures for Protection
Against Mechanical Vibration 138
10. Summary and Conclusions ...... . . . . . 139
11. References................... 142
12. Medical Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158