Our Two Cents

Nicolette Carlan, project coordinator at the University of Waterloo believes there is clear evidence that long-term seated exposure to whole body vibration (WBV) leads to low back pain and disability.

 

“Vibration exposures exacerbate the risk of low back injury in truck drivers," she says. "Vibration desensitizes the neuromotor system, resulting in inability to accurately sense low back posture and quickly respond to unexpected spinal loading caused by getting in and out of a truck cab or sudden heavy lifting."

 

In addition to low back injury and disability, Carlan says seated exposure to vibration has been shown to lead to decreased wakefulness and decreased performance in perceptual tasks, which can increase the risk of collisions.

 

Researchers want to attach measuring equipment to truck seats to record vibration experienced by drivers. Drivers will be asked about their work experience and general health. Researcher will also measure the vibration in trucks along different Manitoba roadways while comparing different types of seats.

 

Most of the study will take place within Manitoba, but the study group says it could be expanded to other areas due to the high volume of volunteers that have already come forward.

Anyone interested in participating should contact Nicolette Carlan at 519-739-3049, or email her at ncarlan@uwaterloo.ca.

Those that participate will be given gift cards for their time.

The University of Waterloo’s Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD) has conducted extensive research to improve the understanding and prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). A number of trucking industry-related recommended practices and fact sheets are available on the Centre’s website.