BAD VIBRATIONS

A Handbook on Whole-body Vibration exposure in Mining

The nature of whole-body vibration (WBV), its sources and prevention are the subject of this Handbook. It aims to assist people in the mining and other heavy industries to identify and manage the risks associated with vibration exposure. It is for use by people who have responsibility for occupational health and safety (OHS) in the workplace including managers, OHS personnel, engineers, purchasers of equipment, supervisors, operators and drivers, maintenance personnel as well as equipment designers, manufacturers and suppliers.

The Handbook is divided into sections:

• Introduction
• Identification
• Assessment
• Control
• Evaluation
• Examples
• Survey forms and check sheets
• Bibliography
• Index

It is divided into sections with accompanying check sheets, survey forms and other information to help readers identify, assess and control risks associated with exposure to WBV and to evaluate corrective action.


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PRACTICAL ERGONOMICS

Application of Ergonomics Principles in the Workplace

There are many hundreds of textbooks and thousands of papers written on ergonomics and human factors in design. Most contain detailed information that is useful to the specialist or the professional when solving ergonomics problems. However, their technical nature may confuse the non-ergonomist and they may require specialist interpretation.

Unfortunately there are very few books available that cater for the needs of workers and their supervisors who have no formal education in ergonomics principles and application. Those that do exist tend to concentrate on the problems of office and industrial work and there are significant gaps when trying to identify and solve problems outside those areas. Nevertheless workers and their supervisors in all occupations in Australia are now actively involved in solving ergonomics problems at work. Usually these are primarily related to occupational health and safety issues but increasingly they also relate to productivity, efficiency, and job satisfaction.

Recognising and solving ergonomics problems requires some knowledge and teamwork. This handbook aims to provide some basic information on ergonomics principles and how workers and supervisors may apply these, particularly for the prevention of health and safety problems at work.

This Handbook is designed as a ‘map’ of ergonomics: its scope and application in the workplace rather than a complete summary of all issues. It provides introductory material in the form of general principles and guidance that might be of use to people working in heavy industry such as mining, construction, agriculture, forestry and the utilities. For the most part it steers away from recipe solutions and concentrates on the process of ergonomics problem solving. It does not attempt to repeat what is adequately covered in other publications.

The reading list is intended to provide access to further, more detailed or specialised information on different topics. However, it is suggested that when seeking solutions for groups of people, particularly at the beginning of the process, a professional ergonomist can assist in the interpretation of technical material.

ERGONOMICS FOR THE CONTROL OF SPRAINS AND STRAINS IN MINING

Statistics and other sources of information indicate that large numbers of mining personnel suffer from, and sometimes make workers' compensation claims for, sprains and strains such as back, neck, knee and ankle injuries. Two of the most frequently occurring activities in mining which lead to these injuries are manual handling and rough rides. They are the subject of this Handbook.

The Handbook is for use by occupational health and safety personnel and others who have responsibility for the prevention of accidents and injuries in mining. Its aim is to assist these users in the identification and management of risks associated with manual handling and rough rides in mines. One approach to reducing or eliminating risks associated with these activities is ergonomics.