Artificial neural network-based model for assessing the whole-body vibration of vehicle drivers

Musculoskeletal disorders, which are epidemiologically related to exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV), are frequently self-reported by workers in the construction sector. Several activities during building construction and demolition expose workers to this physical agent. Directive 2002/44/CE def...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Aguilar Aguilera, Antonio Jesús, Hoz Torres, María Luisa de la, Martínez Aires, María Dolores, Ruiz Padillo, Diego Pablo, Arezes, Pedro, Costa, Nélson
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
Repositorio:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
OAI Identifier:oai:idus.us.es:11441/160598
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/11441/160598
https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14061713
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:WBV
Occupational vibration
Construction
Artificial neural network
Long-term assessment
Safety management
Workers’ health
Descripción
Sumario:Musculoskeletal disorders, which are epidemiologically related to exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV), are frequently self-reported by workers in the construction sector. Several activities during building construction and demolition expose workers to this physical agent. Directive 2002/44/CE defined a method of assessing WBV exposure that was limited to an eight-hour working day, and did not consider the cumulative and long-term effects on the health of drivers. This study aims to propose a methodology for generating individualised models for vehicle drivers exposed to WBV that are easy to implement by companies, to ensure that the health of workers is not compromised in the short or long term. A measurement campaign was conducted with a professional driver, and the collected data were used to formulate six artificial neural networks to predict the daily compressive dose on the lumbar spine and to assess the short- and long-term WBV exposure. Accurate results were obtained from the developed artificial neural network models, with R2 values above 0.90 for training, cross-validation, and testing. The approach proposed in this study offers a new tool that can be applied in the assessment of short- and long-term WBV to ensure that workers’ health is not compromised during their working life and subsequent retirement.