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CILL A T ii ll ust say the words "research into vibration" to

22nd November 2001
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Page 36, 22nd November 2001 — CILL A T ii ll ust say the words "research into vibration" to
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

any group of drivers and the responses are likely to range from blank looks to ribald comments. But a directive now being discussed by the European Council and MEPs on the minimum health and safety requirements for employees working with vibrating machinery is being taken very seriously indeed by concerned operators. Indeed, one says the impact could destroy large swathes of the industry.

The cause of their fears is the less than frighteningly titled Physical Agents (Vibration) Directive. It states that 24% of all workers in Europe are exposed to mechanical vibrations at work and, quite reasonably or the face of it, suggests that further preventive measures should be taken to protect their health.

The directive would set limits for two types of vibrations—hand/arm vibration and whole-body vibration. It is the latter which concerns the haulage industry as it is claimed that this kind of vibration reaches drivers through the seats in their vehicles and is associated with lower back problems.

The limits currently being proposed are low enough that a driver would only be able to work for six hours a day before reaching them. At this point he would be legally obliged to stop driving. In case that hasn't got you worried, it has been reported that tipper drivers would reach the threatened limits within two hours' work. No wonder so many industry insiders are worried.

Tipper operator

John Denham of Liverpool-based tipper operator D Morgan says that the directive could bring large areas of the industry to a halt. "What would happen if a driver was running from Liverpool to London and Luton?" he asks. "He'd constantly have to stop. You would have to start employing

drivers all over the country, A

/004141044..„ one-day journey would

become a two-day jour become a two-day jour

ney. You wouldn't even be allowed to double

man because of the

Working Time Direc tive, The implications

are scary" Denham talks of a postdirective future of operators paying drivers for working 10 hours when they have only driven five, increasing rates, customers saying no to these rate rises and "the wiping out of businesses".

Oxfordshire-based haulier Bob Jones, the owner of Trux, wonders: "Who sets these limits? Everyone's tolerance to vibration is different isn't it Everybody's working day is different isn't it? Also, how are you supposed to measure the limits?"

Jones suggests that the two main consequences for operators will be the need to recruit more drivers and the need to buy new vehicles to keep drivers within the vibration limits. 'That's a big investment," he sighs. 'What happens to the old lorries?"

The obvious way to answer that query would be to go to the manufacturers. Unlike some of the operators CM spoke to, their knowledge of the directive is sketchy However, when informed of the like implications, their voice was unanimous in its concern.

"This means another burden for the UK hauliers to go alongside the Working Time Directive," says Ian Norwell of Mercedes-Benz. He is appalled by suggestions from the EU that a truck could be classed as a piece of vibrating machinery. "Arbu get more or less the same vibration in a truck than you do in a car" he points out. "The effort to drive them is miMmal. We will have to waft and see if these limits are imposed before we look at the effects on vehicle manufacturing."

John Proctor at iveco adds: "We are always striving to improve comfort—it will be interesting to see how the directive is applied."

Denham agrees with the manufacturers: "With the smooth modern-day trucks you've got more chance of being injured from driving a car. Where is the medical evidence? Don't they realise that tipper drivers are in and out of the cab all day anyway?"

Jones admits to having experienced back problems during his own driving days and fully accepts that vibration must join us in fighting this." could be among the causes, but he wants to see some hard evidence.

The safety aspect of the directive is first and foremost in the thoughts of Dave French, owner of French and Son Skip Hire. He is all in favour of any law that can protect the health of his drivers but, like Jones, he wants to see the evidence that vibration can be a cause of injury "It's known that vibration can cause injuries to those in the construction industry," he says. "But we need to see test results as to whether drivers can be affected. Our industry needs to be consulted on this directive before it is implemented."

Interesting reading

In fact, research on this subject was published by The Institution of Sound and Vibration Research and the Medical Research Council's Environmental Epidemiology Unit in 1999, and it makes interesting reading.

The study found that 1.2 million workers in various sectors of the UK industry including construction and driving were being exposed to vibration levels at which the Health and Safety Executive recommends employers should take action.

That sounds clear enough support for some form of directive—but it added: "Lower back pain is common in all occupations but the risk of lower back pain from vibration exposure was generally lower than anticipated and likely to be small in most workers."

Ironically the report by these specialists concluded that greater contributory factors of lower back pain were 'physical stresses such as twisting back movements and the manual loading and unloading of vehicles—something that any driver could have told them.

Also among those who fail to be convinced by the health link is Gary Botton, a spokesman for the Engineering Employer's Federation, which is lobbying hard against the directive. "People get bad backs jumping out of cabs," he says. "That gives you a big shock. One researcher in Sweden has even found that just by walking along the street the EU would class you as suffering. It's crazy!" Crazy or not, it could be coming our way. So what would operators have to to comply with the directive? spokesman for the Health and Sal Executive, which accepts the between whole body vibration and los back pain and supports the direct says: "Operators would have to carry risk assessments. If needed there specialists out there who could meas the limits for them. If they were c cerned their drivers were at risk tl they would have to implement changi And if they didn't? "If a driver beca ill they could be prosecuted," he adds.

The Road Haulage and Frei Transport Associations are adamant t they can fight off any implementation.

"The way the directive is %ludo' might apply to bumper cars as well," s Karen Dee, policy director at the RHA is unworkable and unenforceable. H are you expected to check these limi Will you have to put expensive measur equipment inside the cab? How ( employers be held to blame if trucks going over badly maintained roads?"

Geoff Day, engineering policy m ager at the ETA, echoes Dees' vie, "The government must join us in figh1 this," he says.

Despite these comments, howe the industry is being criticised for not bying hard enough. Botton, for one, s; he has seen little evidence of lobby from the road haulage industry, z warns: "The industry needs to stand This is going to harm your operate Make your voices heard!"

So how far are we away from iml mentationP The European Parliament t just completed its second reading of I directive and has made amendments the Council's proposals. The mi notable of these reduce the vibration Ii its even further but allow a transit period of five years for the industry bring in new equipment. An extra tv year transition period is being propos for agricultural and forestry vehic because their rate of replacement work equipment is deemed to be km than in other sectors.

After the second reading, a third rcx ing will be held to arrive at a joint to Meanwhile, an industry holds its brea


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