Long hours of sitting on machinery and working in uncomfortable positions, like kneeling and crawling, along with lifting heavy loads can lead to injuries for farmers. Because of such physically demanding environments, farmers have a greater risk than workers in many other industries of experiencing musculoskeletal disorders—soft-tissue injuries from frequent motion, force, and awkward positions—especially low back pain.
A common risk factor for soft-tissue injuries is whole body vibration, defined as mechanical jolts felt throughout the body when using machines. Currently, little research is available on farmers’ exposure to whole body vibration when using different types of machinery. To address this issue, a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-funded study at the University of Iowa measured trunk posture and used devices called sensors to measure whole-body vibration as a group of farmers operated 112 agricultural machines. The machines included tractors, combines, heavy utility vehicles like forklifts, and all-terrain vehicles. The researchers compared their measurements to the European Union’s whole-body vibration exposure limits, defined as a cutoff point above which vibration levels increase health risks.