DEVELOPMENT OF A PROTOCOL FOR EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES OF WHOLE-BODY VIBRATION AND MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS OF THE LOWER BACK

It seems evident from a large number of studies that there is a positi ve relationship between exposure to whole body vibration (WBV) and the occurrence of low back pain. There are existing standards for evaluat ing the human exposure to WBV, which are based on other factors than t he effect of musculoskeletal disorders. Several national and internati onal standards also exist for evaluating human exposure to WBV. The ex posure limit values or health guidance caution zones included in some of these standards are not or only to a limited extent based on system atic epidemiological investigations. It has not yet been possible to e stablish a clear exposure-response relationship. There are many confou nding or contributing factors which influence the hazards to workers c aused by exposure to WBV. Reliable methods for the detection and preve ntion of injury due to vibration exposure at work, alone or in combina tion with other risk factors, need to be implemented. The aim of this paper was to design a protocol and a questionnaire for conducting coll aborative studies of WBV and musculoskeletal back disorders. The proto col will be tested in a pilot study before it will be used in multi-ce nter studies. (C) 1998 Academic Press.