Journal of Ergonomics
Open Access

Abstract

Could Whole-Body Vibration Lead the Professional Drivers to Fatigue? A Narrative Review

Luiz Felipe Ferreira-Souza, Marco Antonio de Souza Gama, Ana Carolina Coelho-Oliveira, Danúbia da Cunha de Sá-Caputo, Mario Bernardo-Filho

Objective: To evaluate the fatigue in professional drivers due to the Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) in a narrative review. Methods: Searches were conducted in the PubMed, Embase, Scopus databases, on November 12th, 2020. PICOS strategy method was used to define the main components of the research question. The selected publications showed effects WBV in individuals working drivers of different types of vehicles and its consequences, highlighting the fatigue. Results: Seven articles were selected during the research process that specifically addressed the findings of reports on “whole-body vibration and professional driver and fatigue”. In the answers obtained in the selected articles, it was observed the importance regarding the daily working time and the appropriate level of vibration to which the professional must be submitted. Conclusion: It is concluded that, in general, in the selected studies, fatigue was reported in the professional drivers and this could be associated with the WBV transmitted to the body of the individual. This is relevant to establish policy of effective reduction of exposure of the WBV to professional drivers. It is considered that there are several limitations in the existing literature that prevent definitive conclusions on the subject and future studies to strengthen the evidence base are recommended. Keywords: Whole-body vibration; Mechanical vibration; Professional drivers; Fatigue

Published Date: 2021-01-18; Received Date: 2020-12-28