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RISK ASSESSMENT OF WHOLE BODY-VIBRATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE OPERATION OF LOAD-HAUL-DUMP MINING VEHICLES IN QUARRY ACTIVITIES: A CASE STUDY
Abstract
It is recognized that the quarry activities are characterized by exposure to multiple health risks related to the production process and the Whole-Body-Vibration (WBV) is the most relevant between these. Particularly Load-Haul-Dump (LHD) mining vehicles are used to haul rock and other materials from the production point to crushing stations and / or in unloading points. The primary purpose of the present study is to evaluate health risks associated with the LHD operations of vehicles in quarry activities, highlighting how the different phases (loading and dumping) influence the WBV exposure. A field investigation was conducted at a limestone quarry near Rome for the same subject on two different mining vehicles. The measurement campaign was realized with a tri-axial seat pad accelerometer fixed on the seat of the driver during the day of work. The driver drove both vehicles on the same track under similar boundary conditions: driving speed, seat position optimization, terrain type, driving task, and material quantity loaded. According to ISO 2631-1 criteria, frequency-weighted RMS acceleration along three axes and 8-h equivalent daily exposure were calculated. The data obtained evidence that the mean frequency weighted RMS acceleration along Z-axis is dominant on both vehicles as compared to X and Y axis. Furthermore, the estimated daily exposure respects ISO 2631-1 standard limits for both vehicles, and finally results show how load and dump operations strongly influence the vibration dose value.
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References17
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