Field Quantification of Physical Exposures of Police Officers in Vehicle Operation

Abstract

police officers driving activity characterization mobile data terminal

The effects of police duty belt and seat design changes on lumbar spine posture, driver contact pressure and discomfort

“…As a result, aside from lowerback complaints, increased discomfort to the shoulders, hands and wrists are also reported by officers (Gyi and Porter 1998). Cruiser design modifications can be somewhat limited, due to a restricted work space caused by the MDT and rear seat separation cage for detainees (McKinnon et al 2011). Therefore, investigations of seat design and alterations to personal equipment are primary ergonomics interventions that may lower the risk of musculoskeletal injury and discomfort for officers.…”

“…Police officers demonstrate unique workplace responsibilities that include an assortment of physically demanding activities and prolonged driving/sitting. Due to technological advancements and the introduction of mobile computing in policing, highway patrol officers spend up to 20% of total shift duration working in the cruiser, predominantly interacting with the mobile display terminal (MDT) (McKinnon et al 2011). While mobile computing may be beneficial for work productivity, it augments the amount of time spent sitting and working within the cruiser.…”

Lumbar postures, seat interface pressures and discomfort responses to a novel thoracic support for police officers during prolonged simulated driving exposures

“…4). This ratio represents 33 percent of the 2-h collection in order to replicate the proportion of MDT usage that takes place during a mobile officer's shift (McKinnon et al, 2011). The typing tasks were comprised of two different durations.…”

“…Approximately 50 percent of a police officer's shift is spent seated in a vehicle (Brown et al, 1998;McKinnon et al, 2011) and up to 33 percent of this in-vehicle time is spent performing data entry or retrieval activities on a dash board mounted laptop or mobile data terminal (MDT) (McKinnon et al, 2011). The introduction of MDTs in cruisers increases access to information (Agrawal et al, 2003), which in turn increases officer productivity (Hampton and Langham, 2005).…”

Effects of Ground Conditions on Whole-Body Vibration Exposure on Cars: A Case Study of Drivers of Armored Vehicles

“…In regards the police officers, they spend substantial parts of their working shift in their vehicle, either driving or performing work related tasks, increasing the risk of injury. In all aspects of police work, ranging from physical criminal restraint to automotive pursuit until arrest, the policemen are exposed to physical stressors and whole-body vibrations, which may put them at risk due to the arise of musculoskeletal pain or permanent injuries [8]. In fact, it's recognized that greater levels of low back pain, shoulder, hand, and wrist problems occur with increased exposure to occupational driving, both with standard patrol cars and with particular vehicles like armored cars [9].…”