Study of whole-body and hand-arm vibration measurement among workers in the manufacturing industries of mongolia

Abstract

Background: Occupational health practices frequently face with the challenges of preventing and protecting workers’ health from vibration exposures. There are two primary types of vibrations: whole-body and hand-arm. Some studies indicate that 1.7-5.8% of workers in the USA, Canada, and Europe are exposed to occupational hand-arm vibrations. Additionally, older workers tend to be more susceptible to the impact of vibration. The vibration levels generated by rock drills in South African gold mines range from 24 to 31 m/s² on average. These levels surpass the European Union exposure limit (EU-OSHA - 5 m/s²), with 15-minute exposures exceeding the daily limit. Aim: This study aims to assess the vibration exposure of workers using vibrating tools in Mongolia. Materials and Methods: Our study employed a retrospective case review design. We collected and analyzed 716 vibration measurement data from 2014 to 2023. Results: The average of whole-body vibration was 0.80±0.75 m/s2 and median was 0.63 m/s2 (min 0.0020 m/s2, max 3.64 95% CI 0.40-0.52 0.63 m/s2). Thus, average value for hand-arm vibration 3.3.27±3.31 m/s2, median 2.34 m/s2 (min 0.0053 m/s2, max 16.0 m/s2, 95% CI 1.23-1.72 m/s2). When comparing whole-body vibration across different industries, the average were 0.9 m/s² (95% CI 0.47-0.64 m/s2) for mine workers, being the highest among other industries.In contrast, hand-arm vibration averages were 3.9 m/s² (95% CI 0.9-2.81 m/s2) for mining workers. A statistically significant difference (p=0.001) in vibration exposure was observed among industrial sectors. Conclusion: Among Mongolia’s industrial sectors, mining industry employees experience the highest whole-body vibration exposure, while construction industry workers face the highest exposure to hand-arm vibration. Statistically significant findings reveal that dump operators, open-pit heavy machinery operators, autograder operators, and drill operators in the mining industry exhibit the highest levels of whole-body vibration exposure. On the other hand, electricians, equipment mechanics, and repairers demonstrate the highest exposure to hand-arm vibration (p=0.008, p=0.0001). Additionally, these exposures intensify when these employees work beyond normal hours, exceeding higher exposure limits for 1-9 hours.