An investigation of musculoskeletal discomforts among mining truck drivers with respect to human vibration and awkward body posture using random forest algorithm

Abstract

Using Random Forest algorithms, this study aimed to investigate musculoskeletal discomforts among mining truck drivers considering human vibration and awkward body posture. The study was conducted on 65 professional male drivers of mining trucks. The Cornell questionnaire was used to determine musculoskeletal discomforts.Drivers' exposure to vibrations was measured using the Svanteck 106 A vibration meter. The body posture was analyzed using the quick exposure check (QEC). The main mechanical and individual risk factors were used as predictor variables of musculoskeletal discomforts model. The relative importance of each feature on the discomforts was determined based on Random Forest algorithm compared with multiple linear regression using R Statistics Packages. The equivalent acceleration of whole-body vibration (WBV) was higher than the exposure limit, however, the equivalent acceleration of hand-transmitted vibration (HTV) was lower than the exposure limit.The body posture of drivers was from moderate to high risk so that investigation and changes are required soon. The predictive error of Random Forest model for musculoskeletal discomfort scores was at an acceptable level with root mean square error (RMSE) = 5.29 for the blind case of drivers compared with regressions model with RMSE = 15.92. Random forest showed that the awkward body posture, vibration, and age, respectively, have the greatest relative importance on musculoskeletal discomforts. The findings provide empirical evidence on the relative importance of risk factors on musculoskeletal discomfort so that awkward body posture has a greater effect compared with whole-body vibration. Random forest provided better outputs and was more accurate compared with the regression method.

Assessment of musculoskeletal disorders and contributing factors in professional drivers

“…Similarly, a study from Nigeria reported that the majority of bus drivers experienced musculoskeletal discomfort, particularly in the lower back, knees, neck, upper back, and shoulders, with psychological factors and work pressure also cited as contributing causes [24]. Furthermore, studies on mining truck drivers and elderly Malaysian taxi drivers emphasize the role of age, awkward body posture, and body vibrations in musculoskeletal discomfort, highlighting the prevalence of back pain, especially among older drivers who often smoke and use budgeted vehicles [25,26].…”

Evaluation of Exposure to Noise and Vibration and Its Effect on Work-related Fatigue

“…Buses, in particular, represent a dominant form of public transportation adopted by countless commuters. Throughout their regular duties, bus drivers encounter notable levels of vibrations and noise, which are recognized as occupational hazards [14][15][16].…”

Body physiological responses of city bus drivers subjected to noise and vibration exposure in working environment

“…The drivers of heavy vehicles (i.e. truck and bus) have the potential to be exposed to amounts of noise and vibration [ 11 , 12 ]. The bus drivers have an important role in public transport and are most useful for alleviating the traffic load as well as air pollution [ 13 ].…”