title: Assessment of hand-arm vibration exposure among traffic police motorcyclists.
abstract: The aims of this study were (1) to evaluate subjective symptoms in the hand-arm system of all traffic police motorcyclists of a city located in the central part of Japan and (2) to assess their hand-arm vibration exposure associated with traffic police motorcycle riding. The study population consisted of 119 motorcycling traffic policemen and 49 male controls. By means of a questionnaire, information on the occupational history and the presence of subjective symptoms in the hand-arm system of all subjects was obtained. Vibration was measured on the handlebars of the representative motorcycles and on the hands of the riders. The 4- and 8-h energy-equivalent frequency-weighted acceleration as well as the lifetime vibration dose were calculated for all police motorcyclists. The prevalence of finger blanching in the traffic police motorcyclists was 4.2%, but none of the controls had this symptom. The rates of finger numbness (19.3%), finger stiffness (16.0%), shoulder pain (13.4%), and shoulder stiffness (45.4%) were significantly higher among police motorcyclists as compared with controls. The root-mean-square (rms) frequency-weighted acceleration on the handlebars of police motorcycles was in the range of 2.2-4.9 m/s2 rms. The computed 4- and 8-h energy-equivalent frequency-weighted acceleration values were 2.8-4.5 and 2.0-3.2 m/s2 rms, respectively. A pattern of increasing percentage prevalence with increasing cumulative vibration dose was noticed. The subjects with a lifetime vibration dose of more than 20.1 m2 h3 s-4 (in scale) showed significantly higher prevalence rates for symptoms in the fingers and shoulders as compared with the control group. As occupational vibration exposure of traffic police motorcyclists might be considered a risk factor for the development of symptoms in the hand-arm system of the riders, its evaluation and control is needed for prevention methodology evolution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene, Gifu University School of Medicine, Japan. mirbod@cc.gifu-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Mirbod
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jamali
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Masamura
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Inaba
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iwata
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001134:Arm Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009049:Motorcycles; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D016495:Police; D014732:Vibration / Q000009:adverse effects*