Investigation of Effects Caused by Vibration on the Drivers of Military Speedboats: A Field Study

Exposure to hand-arm vibration is a common physical harmful factor. Floating jobs and working in small boats are among the jobs that people are always exposed to a high level of vibration and noise. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effects caused by vibration on the drivers of military speedboats.

The present study is a quasi-experimental study. In this study, 52 drivers of military speedboats were selected as the case group and 27 as the control group. In this study, demographic variables questionnaire, DASH questionnaire and grip strength test (grip and pinch) of fingers and hands were used. All analyzes were performed using SPSS software version 23.

The results showed that the symptoms of vibration disorders in the case group are more than the control group. The case group, due to their higher score, is in a worse situation in terms of inability to arm, shoulder and hand compared to the control group. The mean grip strength of hands and fingers in both hands was lower in the case group than in the control group. There is a statistically significant relationship between the grip strength of the case and control groups.

Physical function is reduced in people exposed to vibration. Dash score level and grip strength can be used as a predictor of reduced physical disability.