Vibration induced white-feet:​ overview and field study of vibration exposure and reported symptoms in workers

Eger, Tammy<sup>1,2</sup>; Thompson, Aaron<sup>3,4</sup>; Leduc, Mallorie<sup>1</sup>; Krajnak, Kristine<sup>5</sup>; Goggins, Katie<sup>1</sup>; Godwin, Alison<sup>1,2</sup>; House, Ron<sup>3,4</sup>

Affiliations

¹School of Human Kinetics, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada

²Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada

³Department of Medicine, Division of Occupational Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

⁴Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada

⁵Engineering and Controls Technology Branch, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV, USA

Abstract and keywords

Background: Workers who stand on platforms or equipment that vibrate are exposed to foot-transmitted vibration (FTV). Exposure to FTV can lead to vibration white feet/toes resulting in blanching of the toes, and tingling and numbness in the feet and toes.

Objectives: The objectives are 1) to review the current state of knowledge of the health risks associated with foot-transmitted vibration (FTV), and 2) to identify the characteristics of FTV and discuss the associated risk of vibration-induced injury.

Participants: Workers who operated locomotives (n = 3), bolting platforms (n = 10), jumbo drills (n = 7), raise drilling platforms (n = 4), and crushers (n = 3), participated.

Methods: A tri-axial accelerometer was used to measure FTV in accordance with ISO 2631-1 guidelines. Frequencyweighted root-mean-square acceleration and the dominant frequency are reported. Participants were also asked to report pain/ ache/discomfort in the hands and/or feet.

Results: Reports of pain/discomfort/ache were highest in raise platform workers and jumbo drill operators who were exposed to FTV in the 40 Hz and 28 Hz range respectively. Reports of discomfort/ache/pain were lowest in the locomotive and crusher operators who were exposed to FTV below 10 Hz. These findings are consistent with animal studies that have shown vascular and neural damage in exposed appendages occurs at frequencies above 40 Hz.

Conclusions: Operators exposed to FTV at 40 Hz appear to be at greater risk of experiencing vibration induced injury. Future research is required to document the characteristics of FTV and epidemiological evidence is required to link exposure with injury

Keywords: Occupational vibration, Raynaud’s, white-foot, standing, vibration white-toes

Links

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-131692

PubMed: 24004754

WoS: 000332092800011

History

Received: 2012-08-27

Accepted: 2013-08-07

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Cited By (24)

Year	Entry
2018	Goggins K, Tarabini M, Lievers B, Eger T. Standing centre of pressure alters the vibration transmissibility response of the foot. In: Proceedings of the 7th American Conference on Human Vibration. June 13-15, 2018; Seattle, WA.33-34.
2018	Goggins K, Tarabini M, Lievers B, Eger T. Resonant frequency identification at 24 loations on the foot when standing in a natural upright position during vertical vibration exposure. In: Proceedings of the 7th American Conference on Human Vibration. June 13-15, 2018; Seattle, WA.52-53.
2015	Byrnell H, Dickey JP, Godwin A, Eger T. Evaluation of personal protective equipment as a control strategy to reduce foot-transmitted vibration. In: Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Hand-Arm Vibration. October 13-15, 2015; Beijing, China.36-37.
2015	Eger T, Leduc M, Goggins K, Thompson A, House R. Understanding the link between occupational exposure to foot-transmitted vibration and the development of vibration-induced white-feet. In: Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Hand-Arm Vibration. October 13-15, 2015; Beijing, China.82-83.
2017	Eger T. Whole-body vibration exposure and interventions in mining. In: 6th International Conference on Whole Body Vibration (WBV2017). June 19-21, 2017; Gothenburg, Sweden.24-29.
2017	Goggins K, Tarabini M, Corti F, Lievers B, Eger T. Resonant frequency identification at the foot when standing in a natural upright position during vertical vibration exposure. In: 6th International Conference on Whole Body Vibration (WBV2017). June 19-21, 2017; Gothenburg, Sweden.85-86.
2017	Tarabini M, Eger T, Corti F, Goggins K. Evaluation of vibration transmitted to the feet when standing on different outsole and insole material. In: 6th International Conference on Whole Body Vibration (WBV2017). June 19-21, 2017; Gothenburg, Sweden.87-88.
2019	Mahbub MH, Hiroshige K, Hase R, Yamaguchi N, Harada N, Tanabe T. Exposure to acute whole body vibration of three different frequencies: physiological and physical changes in the elderly. In: 54th UK Conference on Human Response to Vibration. September 24-26, 2019; Edinburgh, UK.
2019	Goggins KA, Tarabini M, Lievers WB, Eger TR. Biomechanical response of the human foot when standing in a natural position while exposed to vertical vibration from 10–200 Hz. Ergonomics. May 2019;6(5):644-656.
2019	Goggins KA, Tarabini M, Lievers WB, Eger TR. Standing centre of pressure alters the vibration transmissibility response of the foot. Ergonomics. June 2019;62(9):1202-1213.
2021	Goggins KA, Chadefaux D, Tarabini M, Arsenault M, Lievers WB, Eger T. Four degree-of-freedom lumped parameter model of the foot-ankle system exposed to vertical vibration from 10 to 60 Hz with varying centre of pressure conditions. Ergonomics. 2021;64(8):1002-1017.
2024	Stjernbrandt A, Pettersson H, Vihlborg P, Höper AC, Aminoff A, Wahlström J, Nilsson T. Raynaud’s phenomenon in the feet of Arctic open-pit miners. Int J Circumpolar Health. 2024;83(1):2295576.
2017	House R, Holness L, Taraschuk I, Nisenbaum R. Infrared thermography in the hands and feet of hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) cases and controls. Int J Ind Ergon. November 2017;62:70-76.
2021	Jalali P, Ettefagh MM, Hassannejad R. Recognizing the viscoelastic safe area of work shoe sole in the sitting posture with vibration transmissibility in the vertical direction. Int J Ind Ergon. January 1, 2021;81:103053.
2020	Chadefaux D, Goggins K, Cazzaniga C, Marzaroli P, Marelli S, Katz R, Eger T, Tarabini M. Development of a two-dimensional dynamic model of the foot-ankle system exposed to vibration. J Biomech. January 23, 2020;99:109547.
2020	Goggins KA, Oddson BE, Lievers WB, Eger TR. Anatomical locations for capturing magnitude differences in foot-transmitted vibration exposure, determined using multiple correspondence analysis. Theor Issues Egron Sci. 2020;21(5):562-576.
2021	Vance B, Goggins KA, Godwin A, Oddson BE, Eger TR. Evaluation of the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of a protocol for the measurement of foot-transmitted vibration. Theor Issues Egron Sci. 2021;22(2):218-235.
2021	Tarabini M, Eger T, Goggins K, Moorhead AP, Goi F. Effect of the shoe sole on the vibration transmitted from the supporting surface to the feet. Vibration. 2021;4(4):743-758.
2016	Byrnell HK. Personal Protective Equipment as a Control Strategy to Reduce Foot-Transmitted Vibration [Master's thesis]. Sudbury, ON: Laurentian University; 2016.
2018	Leduc MG. Vibration Toolkit: An Occupational Health Education Intervention for the Mining Industry [PhD thesis]. Sudbury, ON: Laurentian University; 2018.
2018	Vance B. Establishing a Protocol for the Measurement of Human Exposure to Foot-Transmitted Vibration [Master's thesis]. Sudbury, ON: Laurentian University; 2018.
2019	Goggins KA. Measuring and Modelling Human Response to Foot-Transmitted Vibration Exposure [PhD thesis]. Sudbury, ON: Laurentian University; 2019.
2019	Marzaroli P. Development of Tools and Systems for the Protection of Workers from Foot-Transmitted Whole-Body Vibration [PhD thesis]. Politecnico di Milano; 2019.
2019	Maugeri S. Modelling the Response of the Human Feet to Vertical Whole-Body Vibration [Master's thesis]. Lecco, Italy: Politecnico Di Milano; 2019.