Measuring Human Foot-Transmitted Vibration Exposure in Mining: A Field Study and Prototype Measurement Insole Design

Occupational exposure to vibration in mining has shifted from hand-transmitted to foot-transmitted pathways due to changes in equipment design, introducing new and insufficiently characterized health risks. This thesis investigates foot-transmitted vibration (FTV) exposure among standing operators and addresses limitations in current measurement approaches through both field study and instrumentation development.

Field measurements were conducted on underground drilling and bolting equipment to quantify operator exposure and self-reported discomfort. Results indicate that existing whole-body vibration standards (ISO 2631-1) may underestimate risk for standing workers, as analysis at higher frequency ranges associated with hand-transmitted vibration identified additional individuals within the Health Guidance Caution Zone. These findings highlight a gap in current evaluation methodologies for FTV exposure.

To address limitations in measurement capability, a novel instrumented insole was designed, fabricated, and experimentally validated to enable in situ measurement of FTV within occupational footwear. The device integrates micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) accelerometers at anatomically relevant locations in the heel and forefoot, coupled to a wired data acquisition system capable of meeting the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) sampling requirements. Validation testing was performed using controlled laboratory excitation and comparison against a calibrated piezoelectric reference accelerometer. Results demonstrated measurement accuracy within 5% error for the majority of test conditions, confirming the reliability of the prototype for capturing vibration exposure.

The combined field and laboratory results demonstrate both the inadequacy of existing evaluation frameworks for standing vibration exposure and the feasibility of a new measurement device. The developed prototype insole provides a practical tool for quantifying FTV in real working environments and supports improved assessment of occupational health risk.

Keywords: Standing vibration; vibration-induced white-foot; vibration insole; vibration measurement device; insole validation; in-situ measurement

Year	Entry
1988	Sakakibara H, Akamatsu Y, Miyao M, Kondo T, Furuta M, Yamada S, Harada N, Miyake S, Hosokawa M. Correlation between vibration-induced white finger and symptoms of upper and lower extremities in vibration syndrome. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 1988;60(4):285-289.
1998	Matsumoto Y, Griffin MJ. Dynamic response of the standing human body exposed to vertical vibration: influence of posture and vibration magnitude. J Sound Vibrat. April 23, 1998;212(1):85-107.
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.
2003	Cann AP, Salmoni AW, Vi P, Eger TR. An exploratory study of whole-body vibration exposure and dose while operating heavy equipment in the construction industry. Appl Occup Environ Hyg. December 2003;18(12):999-1005.
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.
1989	Hedlund U. Raynaud's phenomenon of fingers and toes of miners exposed to local and whole-body vibration and cold. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. August 1989;61(7):457-461.
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.
2013	Goggins KA. Foot-Transmitted Vibration: Exposure Characteristics and the Biodynamic Response of the Foot [Master's thesis]. Sudbury, ON: Laurentian University; 2013.
2008	Eger T, Stevenson J, Boileau P-É, Salmoni A; VibRG. Predictions of health risks associated with the operation of load-haul-dump mining vehicles, I: analysis of whole-body vibration exposure using ISO 2631-1 and ISO-2631-5 standards. Int J Ind Ergon. 2008;38(9-10):726-738.
2002	Pope M, Magnusson M, Lundström R, Hulshof C, Verbeek J, Bovenzi M. Guidelines for whole-body vibration health surveillance. J Sound Vibrat. May 23, 2002;253(1):131-167.
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.
2017	Shen S, House RA. Hand-arm vibration syndrome: what family physicians should know. Can Fam Physician. March 2017;63(3):206-210.
2011	Leduc M, Eger T, Godwin A, Dickey JP, House R. Examination of vibration characteristics, and reported musculoskeletal discomfort for workers exposed to vibration via the feet. J Low Freq Noise Vib Act Control. September 2011;30(2):197-206.
2000	Mansfield NJ, Griffin MJ. Non-linearities in apparent mass and transmissibility during exposure to whole-body vertical vibration. J Biomech. August 2000;33(8):933-941.
2005	Seidel H. On the relationship between whole-body vibration exposure and spinal health risk. Ind Health. July 2005;43(3):361-377.
2021	Dong RG, Wu JZ, Xu XS, Welcome DE, Krajnak K. A review of hand–arm vibration studies conducted by US NIOSH since 2000. Vibration. 2021;4(2):482-528.
2004	Dong RG, Schopper AW, McDowell TW, Welcome DE, Wu JZ, Smutz WP, Warren C, Rakheja S. Vibration energy absorption (VEA) in human fingers-hand-arm system. Med Eng Phys. July 2004;26(6):483-492.
2011	House R, Jiang D, Thompson A, Eger T, Krajnak K, Sauvé J, Schweigert M. Vasospasm in the feet in workers assessed for HAVS. Occup Med. 2011;61(2):115-120.
2014	Eger T, Thompson A, Leduc M, Krajnak K, Goggins K, Godwin A, House R. Vibration induced white-feet: overview and field study of vibration exposure and reported symptoms in workers. Work. 2014;47(1):101-110.
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.
2008	Choy N, Sim CS, Yoon JK, Kim SH, Park HO, Lee J-H, Yoo CI. A case of Raynaud’s phenomenon of both feet in a rock drill operator with hand-arm vibration syndrome [in Korean]. Korean J Occup Environ Med. 2008;20(4):119-126.
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.
2021	Goggins KA, Oddson BE, Lievers WB, Eger TR. Identifying landmarks for foot-transmitted vibration measurement based on two data analysis methods. In: Proceedings of the 8th American Conference on Human Vibration. June 23-25, 2021; Online due to COVID-19.
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.
2010	Thompson AMS, House R, Krajnak K, Eger T. Vibration-white foot: a case report. Occup Med. 2010;60(7):572-574.
2006	Eger T, Salmoni A, Cann A, Jack R. Whole-body vibration exposure experienced by mining equipment operators. Occup Ergon. 2006;6(3-4):121-127.
1994	Toibana N, Ishikawa N, Sakakibara H, Yamada S. Raynaud's phenomenon of fingers and toes among vibration-exposed patients. Nagoya J Med Sci. May 1994;57(suppl):121-128.
2016	Goggins K, Godwin A, Lariviere C, Eger T. Study of the biodynamic response of the foot to vibration exposure. Occup Ergon. 2016;13(1):53-66.
2008	Eger T, Stevenson J, Callaghan JP, Grenier S; VibRG. Predictions of health risks associated with the operation of load-haul-dump mining vehicles, II: evaluation of operator driving postures and associated postural loading. Int J Ind Ergon. 2008;38(9-10):801-815.

Year

Entry

1988

Sakakibara H, Akamatsu Y, Miyao M, Kondo T, Furuta M, Yamada S, Harada N, Miyake S, Hosokawa M. Correlation between vibration-induced white finger and symptoms of upper and lower extremities in vibration syndrome. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 1988;60(4):285-289.

1998

Matsumoto Y, Griffin MJ. Dynamic response of the standing human body exposed to vertical vibration: influence of posture and vibration magnitude. J Sound Vibrat. April 23, 1998;212(1):85-107.

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.

2003

Cann AP, Salmoni AW, Vi P, Eger TR. An exploratory study of whole-body vibration exposure and dose while operating heavy equipment in the construction industry. Appl Occup Environ Hyg. December 2003;18(12):999-1005.

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.