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1

Noise-induced hearing loss in bus and truck drivers in Mazandaran province, 2011

Alizadeh A., Etemadinezhad S., Yazdani Charati J., Mohamadiyan M.

International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics

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2016

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Vol. 22, No. 2

193--198

EN

Background and purpose. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is among the most prevalent and preventable work-related disorders. This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence and severity of NIHL in bus and truck drivers of Mazandaran province in north Iran. Materials and methods. In a cross-sectional descriptive study, 2283 drivers were examined clinically and para-clinically, including measuring their fasting blood sugar, triglyceride and cholesterol levels. All participants were evaluated for the air and bone thresholds of both ears. Twenty-three individuals were excluded from the study because of conductive hearing loss. Data from 2260 drivers were analyzed using SPSS version 18. Results. Of the drivers, 37.5% had hearing loss in the right ear and 41.8% of the drivers had hearing loss in the left ear in one or more frequencies of sound. Hearing loss was significantly more frequent in the left ear and in 6000 Hz followed by 4000 Hz. Conclusion. Our study showed that the prevalence and severity of NIHL is high in drivers of Mazandaran province. There was a correlation between hearing loss and age and driving work history. We recommend considering hearing conservation programs more seriously.

2

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of occupational risks in Colombian taxi drivers

Rodriguez Amaya R. M., Becerra Pinto S. M.

International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics

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2016

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Vol. 22, No. 1

152--158

EN

Objective. The objective of this study was to learn about the health and safety strategies in a sample of taxi drivers in Bucaramanga, Colombia. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 138 taxi drivers. A survey was used to identify the socio-demographic and working characteristics, knowledge, attitudes and practices according to their occupational risk. Results. Eighty-five percent of the workers labored 9–15 h/day. Of those who suffered accidents, 27% were not affiliated to an occupational risk administrator (p = 0.028). Of the workers who had a work-related accident, 58% considered that the use of a cell phone while driving would not always reduce their attention, 50% always used their seat belt and 7% took active breaks and wore their seat belt (p = 0.01). Conclusions. Within this group of taxi drivers, having or believing to possess knowledge regarding an occupational risk did not ensure that they had a safe attitude or safe working practices.

3

Drivers for OSH interventions in small and medium-sized enterprises

Cagno E., Masi D., Leao C. P.

International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics

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2016

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Vol. 22, No. 1

102--115

EN

The debate concerning occupational safety and health (OSH) interventions has recently focused on the need of improving the evaluation of interventions, and in particular on the need for providing information about why the intervention worked or not, under what circumstances and in which context. Key concepts in the analysis of the context are the drivers, i.e., those factors enabling, fostering or facilitating OSH interventions. However, the concept of driver for an OSH intervention is both confused and contested. Although the term is widely used, there is little consensus on how drivers should be understood, how important they are in different contexts and how they can facilitate interventions. This exploratory study based on interviews with the owner-managers and the safety officers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) gives an overview of the most characteristic drivers for OSH interventions. The results will be used to make an initial evaluation of SMEs' needs, and will help orient interventions and future research.

4

Secondary task and risky driving behavior: a test of the mediating effect of situation awareness

Hartono B., Gozali M.

International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics

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2015

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Vol. 21, No. 3

399--404

EN

A theoretical model is developed by using a contingency perspective to hypothesize the relationship between a secondary task and risky driving behavior. It is conjectured that the relationship between the two variables is mediated by situation awareness (SA). An experiment is designed and administered to provide empirical evidence. Thirty Indonesian students as subjects were required to carry out a driving assignment in a simulated environment. Empirical evidence suggests that SA provides a partial mediation effect towards the relationship between a secondary task and risky driving behavior. It is also found that a secondary task has a significant effect on risky driving behavior. The secondary task also becomes a significant explanation of SA. In addition, working memory capacity, experience and gender are found to have no significant impact towards SA.

5

Lower back pain and absenteeism among professional public transport drivers

Kresal F., Roblek V., Jerman A., Mesko M.

International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics

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2015

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Vol. 21, No. 2

166--172

EN

Drivers in public transport are subjected to lower back pain. The reason for the pain is associated with the characteristics of the physical position imposed on the worker while performing the job. Lower back pain is the main cause of absenteeism among drivers. The present study includes 145 public transport drivers employed as professional drivers for an average of 14.14 years. Analysis of the data obtained in the study includes the basic descriptive statistics, χ2 test and multiple regression analysis. Analysis of the incidence of lower back pain showed that the majority of our sample population suffered from pain in the lower back. We found that there are no statistically significant differences between the groups formed by the length of service as a professional driver and incidence of lower back pain; we were also interested in whether or not the risk factors of lower back pain affects the absenteeism of city bus drivers. Analysis of the data has shown that the risk factors of pain in the lower part of the spine do affect the absenteeism of city bus drivers.

6

Environmental determinants of celeration behaviour

Wahlberg A. E.

International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics

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2015

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Vol. 21, No. 1

71--79

EN

Celeration (speed change) behaviour of drivers has been posited to be the best predictor of their traffic accident involvement. The origins of this behaviour, however, have not been specified. A model is therefore introduced, where celeration is partly due to the individual disposition of the driver (i.e., driving style), and partly to the environment (road layout, rules and traffic density). Three measurement problems for celeration were studied; the effect of traffic density, of regular versus irregular routes, and weight of the vehicle (loaded/unloaded) on celeration behaviour. Two small samples of truck drivers in Sweden were measured for several months each. There was a strong effect of vehicle load, with behaviour being more cautious with increased weight. Driving on different roads also yielded differences in behaviour, although the design used did not permit conclusions about what caused these. Traffic volume was not found to have any reliable effect on celeration.

7

Differences in driving performance due to headway distances and gender: the application of jerk cost function

Choi J.-S., Kim H.-S., Shin Y.-H., Choi M.-H., Chung S.-C., Min B.-C., Tack G.-R.

International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics

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2015

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Vol. 21, No. 1

111--117

EN

Driving is directly controlled by the driver's movement. This study tried to compare differences in gender and headway distances between the DRIVING phase and the SUDDEN STOP phase by using subjects’ movement during driving in the simulator. To quantify subjects’ movement, the jerk cost function (JC) was used, and conventional vehicle control parameters such as the coefficient of variation of the mediolateral trajectory (MLCV) for lane keeping and the brake time (BT) were also used. As the headway distance increased, MLCV and JC decreased significantly in the DRIVING phase. In the SUDDEN STOP phase, BT was increased and, MLCV and JC were decreased. Differences between genders were detected for both MLCV (males < females) and JC (males > females). The results of this study demonstrate that JC may be used as a variable in evaluating driving performance as influenced by driving conditions and gender.

8

The Impact of Mobile Data Terminal Use on Posture and Low-Back Discomfort When Combined With Simulated Prolonged Driving in Police Cruisers

Gruevski K. M., McKinnon C. D., Dickerson C. R., Callaghan J. P.

International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics

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2013

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Vol. 19, No. 3

415--422

EN

The introduction of mobile computing within a constrained vehicle environment has led to changes in the task demands of occupational groups such as professional drivers and law enforcement officers. The purpose of this study was to examine how mobile data terminal (MDT) use interacts with prolonged driving to induce postural changes or low-back discomfort. Eighteen participants (9 male, 9 female) completed two 120-min simulated driving sessions. Time-varying lumbar spine and pelvis postures, seat pan interface pressures and ratings of perceived discomfort were recorded at 15-min intervals. The introduction of a computer interface decreased pelvic posterior rotation by an average of 15° with respect to upright standing and increased peak average discomfort in the neck (5.9 mm), left shoulder (6.8 mm), midback (10.9 mm), low back (10.6 mm) and pelvis (11.5 mm) compared to driving alone. The incorporation of mobile computing warrants consideration in the design of vehicle work environments.

9

Personality Correlates of Accident-Proneness in Auto-Rickshaw Drivers in India

Manglam M. K., Sinha V. K., Praharaj S. K., Bhattacharjee D., Das A.

International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics

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2013

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Vol. 19, No. 2

159--165

EN

Objective. We examined the personality correlates of accident-proneness of auto-rickshaw drivers in the Indian city of Ranchi. Methods. This was a cross-sectional study in which 50 male drivers aged 18-50 years, selected randomly from a list of licensed auto-rickshaw drivers in Ranchi, were assessed with a Hindi version of Cattell's 16 Personality Factors (l6-PF) Questionnaire. Results. There was a significantly higher frequency of breaking rules, crossing speed limits, substance use and a trend towards a higher frequency of carrying extra persons (i.e., more than recommended) in accident-prone drivers. There was significant negative correlation of accident-proneness with 16-PF factors such as reasoning, rule consciousness, apprehension and emotional stability. Conclusion. Personality characteristics with lower scores of reasoning, rule consciousness, apprehension and emotional stability are common in commercial auto-rickshaw drivers with high accident-proneness.

10

Methodology of Selecting the Reference Source for an Active Noise Control System in a Car

Dąbrowski Z., Stankiewicz B.

International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics

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2013

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Vol. 19, No. 1

117--125

EN

At the end of the 20th century, a significant development in digital technologies of signal processing made it possible to apply active noise control methods in new domains. A proper selection of the reference signal source is a main problem in implementing such systems. This paper presents an estimation method based on an indicator of the coherent power level. It also presents a simple system of active noise control in a car, operating according to the proposed method of optimising the positioning of reference sources. This system makes it possible to considerably increase the comfort of work of drivers in various kinds of road transport without a great increase in cost. This is especially significant in the case of trucks and vans. Passive barriers are considerably more expensive in them, which results in a higher level of noise than in passenger cars.

11

Learning to Drive: Learners' Self-Reported Cognitive Failure Level Predicts Driving Instructor's Observation Rating of Driving Performance

Elfering A., Ruppen V., Grebner S.

International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics

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2013

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Vol. 19, No. 3

485--491

EN

Objectives. Evidence increases that cognitive failure may be used to screen for drivers at risk. Until now, most studies have relied on driving learners. This exploratory pilot study examines self-report of cognitive failure in driving beginners and error during real driving as observed by driving instructors. Methods. Forty-two driving learners of 14 driving instructors filled out a work-related cognitive failure questionnaire. Driving instructors observed driving errors during the next driving lesson. In multiple linear regression analysis, driving errors were regressed on cognitive failure with the number of driving lessons as an estimator of driving experience controlled. Results. Higher cognitive failure predicted more driving errors (p < .01) when age, gender and driving experience were controlled in analysis. Conclusions. Cognitive failure was significantly associated with observed driving errors. Systematic research on cognitive failure in driving beginners is recommended.

12

Driver Fatigue and Road Safety on Poland’s National Roads

Jamroz K., Smolarek L.

International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics

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2013

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Vol. 19, No. 2

297--309

EN

This paper presents an overview of factors causing driver fatigue as described in the literature. Next, a traffic crash database for 2003–2007 is used to identify the causes, circumstances and consequences of accidents caused by driver fatigue on Poland’s national roads. The results of the study were used to build a model showing the relationship between the concentration of road accidents and casualties, and the time of day. Finally, the level of relative accident risk at night-time versus daytime is defined. A map shows the risk of death and severe injury on the network of Poland’s national roads. The paper suggests to road authorities steps to reduce fatigue-related road accidents in Poland.

13

Driver Celeration Behavior and the Prediction of Traffic Accidents

Wahlberg A. E.

International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics

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2006

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Vol. 12, No. 3

281--296

EN

A study was undertaken to investigate whether driver celeration (overall mean speed change) behavior can predict traffic accident involvement. Also, to test whether acceleration, deceleration or the combined celebration measure was the better predictor. Bus driver celeration behavior was measured repeatedly in real traffic, driving en route, and correlated with accidents for which the drivers were deemed at least partly responsible. Correlations around .20 were found in several samples between celeration behavior and culpable accidents for a 2-year period. The results show that although celeration behavior is only semi-stable over time, it predicts with some accuracy individual accident involvement over 2 years. The predictive power of acceleration and deceleration was slightly lower than the combined measure, in accordance with theory. The correlations found were strong enough to warrant the use of celeration behavior as a predictive variable for transportation companies in their safety work.

14

Behavioural Reactivation and Subjective Assessment of the State of Vigilance—Application to Simulated Car Driving

Bonnefond A., Roge J., Muzet A.

International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics

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2006

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Vol. 12, No. 3

221--229

EN

The frequency of some behaviour (such as self-centred gestures) increases during a task that leads to the occurrence of low-vigilance episodes. These gestures can be useful in stimulating oneself. A study carried out in 20 adults has enabled us to state that motor activity (recorded with an actimeter) increases with the duration of a monotonous driving task and sleep deprivation. The analysis of the scores recorded using the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale has shown that drivers can assess the deterioration of their state of vigilance according to the actual sleep preceding the driving test. Finally, the joint analysis of the subjective and objective data revealed a co-variation of these two types of indices. We discuss the stimulatory function of the motor activity in a task leading to the occurrence of low-vigilance episodes by investigating, among other things, the use, conscious or not, of this type of activity.

15

The Effect of Age on Cognitive Performance Under the Impact of Vibration in a Driving Environment

Muzammil M.

International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics

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2004

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Vol. 10, No. 4

333--348

EN

The effect of organismic variable age on human cognitive performance was studied under the impact of vibration in different automobile driving environments, namely city streets, rural roads and highways. Reaction time was measured in milliseconds through a human response measurement system specifically designed for the purpose. Results of the study showed that age had a significant effect in city street and rural road conditions. It was also found that the level of equivalent acceleration of vibration and a difficulty index significantly affected cognitive performance in all driving conditions. The organismic variable age observed to have a significant effect on task performance implied that youngsters and older people are stressed differently in specific environments of driving so proper stress management strategies should be evolved for them in order to minimize the number of accidents.

16

The Effect of Seat Design on Vibration Comfort

Wijaya A. R., Jönsson P., Johansson O.

International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics

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2003

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Vol. 9, No. 2

193--210

EN

A field study was done to evaluate different seat designs in the aspect of minimizing vibration transmission and reducing the level of discomfort experienced by drivers subjected to transient vibration. Two seat designs (sliding or fixed in the horizontal direction) were compared in an experimental based on variation of sitting posture, speed, and type of obstacle. The comparison was done by assessing discomfort and perceived motion and by vibration measurement. Ten professional drivers were used as participants. Maximum Transient Vibration Value and Vibration Dose Value were used in the evaluation. The results showed that a sliding seat is superior in attenuating vibration containing transient vibration in the horizontal direction. It was also perceived as giving less overall and low back discomfort compared to a fixed seat.

17

Ergonomic Diagnosis of the Driver’s Workplace in an Electric Locomotive

Grabarek I.

International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics

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2002

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Vol. 8, No. 2

225--242

EN

This paper deals with research aimed at developing a method for ergonomic analysis of the driver’s workplace in an electric locomotive. It presents the structure of the diagnosis and its assumptions, and includes a re-evaluation of the questionnaire-expert method in ergonomic research. The article presents research data on weights and evaluations including their standard deviations for particular priority features. Ergonomic levels of the studied operator’s cabin in locomotives are compared.

18

Effects of Gender and Athletic Participation on Driving Capability

Hancock P. A., Kane M. J., Scallen S., Albinson C. B.

International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics

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2002

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Vol. 8, No. 2

281--292

EN

This study sought to determine if spatiotemporal skills, represented by success in high level sport, transfer to driving and, if so, whether such transfer is mediated by the gender of the driver. Using an emergency-braking test, we compared the driving ability of male and female athletes and non-athletes and showed that athletes achieved significantly longer and therefore superior durations for time-to-contact. The advantage of athletic participation thus did not appear in movement time but rather in the ability to produce desirable performance in context. We found that males and females did not differ significantly with respect to driving, however, involvement in sport apparently transfers to aspects of driving and so provides benefits beyond the intrinsic reward of the sports activities themselves.

19

Driver Workload Response to In-Vehicle Device Operations

Jerome C. J., Ganey H. C. N., Mouloua M., Hancock P. A.

International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics

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2002

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Vol. 8, No. 4

539--546

EN

A central concern of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) is the effect of in-vehicle devices (e.g., cell phones, navigation systems, radios, etc.) on driver performance and safety. As diverse and innovative technologies are designed and implemented for in-vehicle use, questions regarding the presence and use of these devices assume progressively greater importance. Further concerns for advanced driver training require us to develop and validate reliable and effective procedures for assessing such effects. This work examines a number of candidate procedures, in particular the evaluation of change in cognitive workload as a strategy by which such goals might be achieved.

20

Identification of Driver Model Parameters

Reński A.

International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics

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2001

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Vol. 7, No. 1

79--92

EN

The paper presents a driver model, which can be used in a computer simulation of a curved ride of a car. The identification of the driver parameters consisted in a comparison of the results of computer calculations obtained for the driver-vehicle-environment model with different driver data sets with test results of the double lane-change manoeuvre (Standard No. ISO/TR 3888:1975, International Organization for Standardization [ISO], 1975) and the wind gust manoeuvre. The optimisation method allows to choose for each real driver a set of driver model parameters for which the differences between test and calculation results are smallest. The presented driver model can be used in investigating the driver-vehicle control system, which allows to adapt the car construction to the psychophysical characteristics of a driver.