Bus driver seat ergonomics journal

To the extent that it is not already legally required, equipping the driver s seat with a threepoint seatbelt and head rest are recommended. I just ran across this cool website that provides helpful tips on how to adjust your cars driver seat before that long commute to work. The present study is intended to develop an ergonomic bus seat design protocol based on seat comfort evaluat. Ways to improve driver ergonomics for fleets safety. As an example of what i am talking about, i have found that i get a terrible back ache if i sit or drive in my friends accord for more than an hour or so, but i can drive all day in my outback in comfort. The ergonomics open journal, 2015, 8, 5766 57 1875934315 2015 bentham open open access a holistic approach to improving the musculoskeletal health of city bus and longdistance bus drivers paula karmeniemi1, nina nevala1,2 arto reiman1, irmeli pehkonen,1. The driver s seat should have a total of five adjustments. This video features a breakdown of some of the best ways to avoid these type of injuries. Using a 1998 oregon osha orosha grant, the tricounty metropolitan transportation district of oregon trimet funded the development of the next generation bus driver seat. Ergonomics deals with the seating pattern of the human being relative to the environment. Hence, knowing about the positionorientation of drivers seat, steering column, wheel, and pedals in the driving cabin is. This paper presents the design methodology and results of a project directed towards developing design guidelines for the transit bus operators workstation.

Seat cushion length, if possible adjust the seat length so that the back of your knees is about 3 6 cm about 114 to 238 in from the front on the seat. Ironically, the best way to take advantage of the driver seat s ergonomics is not to spend too much time in the seat. Place your feet flat on the floor and adjust the seat height until your knees are bent at a 90 degree angle a single red or gray switch on the side of your seat. Bus driver seat measurements and seat adjustment ranges. Prominence upon comfort and body pressure distribution of an automobile seat in shortduration driving. A back injury can keep a driver off the road for weeks, reducing the amount of freight that can be hauled and causing significant impact to your revenue stream. Statistics and studies reveal that ergonomic seating is something all employers should consider for their office staff.

An ergonomic design strategy for the transit bus operators. For central europe, this means a bodysize range of 1. After collecting populationspecific anthropometric data, trimet, working with ussc and ergonomics consulting, developed specific design criteria. Similar to an office workstation, automobiles have four points of contact. Car seat design cont seat shock adsorbers to dampen frequencies between 1 20 hz. This paper ventures to establish a set of guidelines, exclusively for designing bus and coach driver workspace. Pdf an ergonomics assessment of passenger seats in buses. The various systems in the driver s work space and their relevance to driver s ergonomics are discussed. May 07, 2010 one company which is aware of the importance of incorporating driver ergonomics issues into its safety policies is bt.

Beyond identifying sources of bus driver distraction, a contribution of this study has been the development of a novel framework of ergonomics methods that can be used to examine, in a realworld context, driver distraction in the public transport domain. Ergonomic efforts in the design of the transit bus have lagged far behind those of the automobile and most aircrafts. The participants were 62 bus drivers aged 3464 years. Back and ergonomic safety for school bus drivers youtube. Of its 2,400 employees, approximately 1,200 are bus drivers. The models address key aspects of occupant posture, including driver selected seat position, driver eye location, and headroom. Metro transit testing barriers to protect bus drivers. Are bus drivers at an increased risk for developing. Seat forwardback position move the seat forward until you can easily push the pedals through their full range with your whole foot, not just your toes.

Abstract a descriptive survey was conducted on an ergonomics assessment of passenger seats of minibus around mekelle city, ethiopia africa. A wide variety of bus driver seat options are available to you, there are 2,408 suppliers who sells bus driver seat on, mainly located in asia. This study aimed at developing anthropometric model for business bus drivers in nigerian which would facilitate. After a mechanic makes a setting change, drivers can use the lever to move the seat, says annette hillard, a bus driver of 14 years for cinnaminson n. It aims at understanding the right pattern of sitting in order to reuce the injuries. How to improve ergonomics while driving for long periods of time. This aim of this project is to improve the ergonomics design of the bus driver seat so that it will reduce bus operator injuries. Reducing whole body vibration to improve the safety and. If youre driving long distances, you should alter your position or get out of the car to walk around and stretch at least once every two hours source. Driver seat ergonomics maintenancerepairs car talk community. The drivers workstation in buses is normally designed in the form of a halfopen cabin.

Metro transit testing barriers to protect bus drivers wcco cbs minnesota. Linear springdamper element was used for modeling the driver seat suspension system. How to assess injury costs ergonomics is cost effective. Ergonomic design of the drivers workstation is a necessary component of driver. Analysis of specific vehicle events reveals the area where improvements in vehicle control and driver training would produce better bus journeys. The studies indicate that being a bus driver is a highrisk occupation. A lot of drivingrelated back pain has to do with the position of the drivers seat. Nov 05, 2015 the leading cause of disabling injures for school bus drivers is back and ergonomic injuries.

A holistic approach to improving the musculoskeletal health. What feels good to one person may be terrible for someone else. Truck driver cabin ergonomics transportation research board. References are drawn from different case studies and standards to come up with recommendations and guidelines. Design and development of bus operator seat as an integral.

Analysis of bus users vibration exposure time sciencedirect. Pdf an ergonomics assessment of passenger seats in buses in. Adjust the steering wheel to avoid excessive reaching distance should be a minimum of 10. Bus lines operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This seat cushion has addressed all those issues and.

As per rula, 46% of bus drivers needed further ergonomic. The overall goal of this research is to provide vehicle designers with tools that will allow them to accurately predict how occupants, particularly drivers, will be positioned in the vehicles. Are bus drivers at an increased risk for developing musculoskeletal disorders. An ergonomics assessment of passenger seats in buses in south western nigeria. The company, which has about 70,000 drivers, has included generic ergonomics training within its overall driver health and safety strategy. The drivers cabin is the area from which the driver directly controls the operation of the bus. Between 1992 and 1997, approximately 5% of the trimet busdriverworkforce compensation claims were directly attributed to the design of the bus operator s seat. Slightly recline the seat back to an angle of approximately 100 degrees. As per rula, 46% of bus drivers needed further ergonomic investigation and.

Conditions of vtofk digest on preventing stress at work, vol. There should be about 23 fingers width in the space between the front of the seat cushion and the back of the driver s knee. If possible, tilt the seat a notch or two back and forth every 2030 minutes alters the direction of vibration adjust the steering wheel ensure you can press the pedals without moving your low back off the back of seat avoid slouching if possible, change positions while driving. Article pdf available in journal of ergonomics s3011. The ergonomic design of truck drivers seats is an important issue for the design engineer as truck drivers. The measurements of the driver s cabin and the adjustments that can be made to the seat and steering wheel must fall within a range that is applicable to all drivers. Durable ergonomic seating for urban bus operators oregon osha. The top countries of suppliers are japan, china, and india, from which the percentage of bus driver seat supply is 1%, 98%, and 1% respectively. However, the 0x coordinate applies only to the heel point of one type of the specified population p95. Uw ergonomics lab ship page 3 of 6 seat fitting instructions seat height. Sep 01, 2017 ways to improve driver ergonomics for fleets. He also recommended drivers have an ergonomics expert assess the seat of their car. The leading cause of disabling injures for school bus drivers is back and ergonomic injuries.

Seat is one of the important components of the vehicle and that are place for the professional driver spend most their time when operating their vehicle. Apr 11, 2018 if you drive for a living, are in charge of fleet safety or even simply drive to and from work each day, consider the following driving ergonomics tips. The driver s workstation in buses is normally designed in the form of a halfopen cabin. Ergonomic design of a bangladesh bus passenger seat. Ergonomic seat standard from iso bolsters bus driver health. Like the old saying says, one mans meat is another mans poison. The definition of good or bad journeys, as described by a journey quality index, is related to the distribution of jerk levels. The seat, steering wheel, and pedals influence the drivers posture. An investigation into aspects of bus design and passenger. In addition, when you consider the commercial truck driver shortage, the costs keep mounting. Our ergo 21 seat cushions are a hit with cab and bus. Ergonomics is not just feels good pr, it really pays off. Air ride seats were the most favored ergonomic improvement.

Lyons suggests that seat adjustability needs to be optimized in order to suit all sizes and shapes of truck drivers. Pdf are bus drivers at an increased risk for developing. Our ergo 21 seat cushions are a hit with cab and bus drivers, uber drivers and internet surfers. Ergonomic considerations for designing truck drivers seats. Passenger seats and assistant driver seat have elastic foam cushions for vibration damping. Our ergo 21 seat cushions are a hit with cab and bus drivers. I am a 12 hour a day taxi driver and to try to eliminate the pain. Additionally, we looked at the optimal range of the driver seat positions as it relates to the steering wheel and pedals and ensured. International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics. A holistic approach to improving the musculoskeletal health of city.