Combined effect of posture and whole-body vibration on health

Combined exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV) and posture can result in harmful adverse health effects compared to WBV or posture alone. The effect of WBV on health is outlined in ISO standard ISO 2631-1, and the effect of static posture is defined in ISO 11226. The goal of this study was to develop an accumulative posture index based on both static and dynamic (vibration) contributions. The health metrics from both sources were used to introduce daily combined WBV-posture exposure, which was then used to assess health risks. Three examples from different industrial vehicles were introduced to demonstrate the effect of daily combined WBV-posture exposure on the daily exposure duration thresholds defined by the ISO 2631-1 Health Guidance Caution Zone. The combined effect of posture on health can be influenced by the vibration magnitude, frequency content, muscle activation, and static and dynamic postures, which will be considered in future studies.