Risk to the health of agricultural equipment drivers in Romania caused by exposure to vibration and noise

Abstract

In this paper, the exposures to vibrations transmitted to the whole body and to the noises of tractors were studied. The determinations took place in the largest agricultural region of Romania, in Bărăgan, namely, in the Brăila Plain. Two types of tractors were analyzed: one from 1993 and one from 2013, with 5500h of operation. Accelerations transmitted to humans with MAESTRO 01dB and noise were measured with the Blue Solo sound level meter (01 dB-Metravib). Comfort Note have been calculated. For the 1993 tractor, the total acceleration r.m.s. has values between [4.3666.389]m/s2, exceeding 3.2165.556 times the daily exposure limit value, and from the Comfort Note, it is found that the situation is extremely uncomfortable. Extremely uncomfortable; the average sound level is 95.5 dB(A), exceeding exposure limit values. For the 2013 tractor, the total acceleration r.m.s. has values between [0.66961.6525]m/s2, slightly exceeding the daily exposure limit value, and from the Comfort Note, it is found that the situation is between slightly uncomfortable and uncomfortable; the average sound level is 65.9 dB(A), lower than the lower exposure action values. For this reason, the stock of agricultural equipment needs to be renewed, but this is particularly difficult, given that their prices range from several tens of thousands of euros to hundreds of thousands of euros.