Digital Approaches for Mitigating Occupational Vibration Exposure in the Context of Industry 4.0

Whole-body vibration (WBV) exposure presents occupational health risks across multiple industries, particularly in tasks involving heavy machinery and prolonged seating. This study examines WBV risk factors, intervention strategies, and the potential for digital monitoring solutions to strengthen wo...

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Main Authors: Doru Costin Darabont, Lucian-Ionel Cioca, Daniel Onut Badea
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Safety
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2313-576X/11/2/31
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author Doru Costin Darabont
Lucian-Ionel Cioca
Daniel Onut Badea
author_facet Doru Costin Darabont
Lucian-Ionel Cioca
Daniel Onut Badea
author_sort Doru Costin Darabont
collection DOAJ
description Whole-body vibration (WBV) exposure presents occupational health risks across multiple industries, particularly in tasks involving heavy machinery and prolonged seating. This study examines WBV risk factors, intervention strategies, and the potential for digital monitoring solutions to strengthen workplace safety. A sector-wide analysis assessed vibration exposure levels, worker-reported discomfort, and the effectiveness of the existing control measures. The study introduces a conceptual framework for a mobile application designed to integrate real-time exposure tracking, structured worker feedback, and predictive risk assessment. The findings confirm that WBV exposure varies across industries, with the energy and maritime logistics sectors showing the highest levels of noncompliance. A tiered intervention strategy, classified by impact and effort, provides a structured method for prioritizing risk reduction measures. Immediate actions, such as real-time monitoring and preventive maintenance, require minimal effort but provide high-impact benefits, while long-term strategies, including ergonomic workstation redesign, demand greater investment but contribute to sustained exposure reduction. The proposed framework offers a scalable, data-driven approach to WBV risk management, transitioning workplace safety from compliance-based monitoring to proactive prevention. Future research should explore implementation feasibility, worker adoption, and the integration of AI-driven safety recommendations to support continuous improvements in workplace safety strategies.
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spelling doaj-art-5c66433d447c45e79b5df50f4f296cbc2025-08-20T03:27:22ZengMDPI AGSafety2313-576X2025-04-011123110.3390/safety11020031Digital Approaches for Mitigating Occupational Vibration Exposure in the Context of Industry 4.0Doru Costin Darabont0Lucian-Ionel Cioca1Daniel Onut Badea2National Research and Development Institute on Occupational Safety—I.N.C.D.P.M. “Alexandru Darabont”, 35A Ghencea Boulevard., Sector 6, 061692 Bucharest, RomaniaIndustrial Engineering and Management Department, Faculty of Engineering, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, 550024 Sibiu, RomaniaNational Research and Development Institute on Occupational Safety—I.N.C.D.P.M. “Alexandru Darabont”, 35A Ghencea Boulevard., Sector 6, 061692 Bucharest, RomaniaWhole-body vibration (WBV) exposure presents occupational health risks across multiple industries, particularly in tasks involving heavy machinery and prolonged seating. This study examines WBV risk factors, intervention strategies, and the potential for digital monitoring solutions to strengthen workplace safety. A sector-wide analysis assessed vibration exposure levels, worker-reported discomfort, and the effectiveness of the existing control measures. The study introduces a conceptual framework for a mobile application designed to integrate real-time exposure tracking, structured worker feedback, and predictive risk assessment. The findings confirm that WBV exposure varies across industries, with the energy and maritime logistics sectors showing the highest levels of noncompliance. A tiered intervention strategy, classified by impact and effort, provides a structured method for prioritizing risk reduction measures. Immediate actions, such as real-time monitoring and preventive maintenance, require minimal effort but provide high-impact benefits, while long-term strategies, including ergonomic workstation redesign, demand greater investment but contribute to sustained exposure reduction. The proposed framework offers a scalable, data-driven approach to WBV risk management, transitioning workplace safety from compliance-based monitoring to proactive prevention. Future research should explore implementation feasibility, worker adoption, and the integration of AI-driven safety recommendations to support continuous improvements in workplace safety strategies.https://www.mdpi.com/2313-576X/11/2/31occupational vibrationrisk assessmentworkplace exposuresensor-based monitoringpredictive risk analysis
spellingShingle Doru Costin Darabont
Lucian-Ionel Cioca
Daniel Onut Badea
Digital Approaches for Mitigating Occupational Vibration Exposure in the Context of Industry 4.0
Safety
occupational vibration
risk assessment
workplace exposure
sensor-based monitoring
predictive risk analysis
title Digital Approaches for Mitigating Occupational Vibration Exposure in the Context of Industry 4.0
title_full Digital Approaches for Mitigating Occupational Vibration Exposure in the Context of Industry 4.0
title_fullStr Digital Approaches for Mitigating Occupational Vibration Exposure in the Context of Industry 4.0
title_full_unstemmed Digital Approaches for Mitigating Occupational Vibration Exposure in the Context of Industry 4.0
title_short Digital Approaches for Mitigating Occupational Vibration Exposure in the Context of Industry 4.0
title_sort digital approaches for mitigating occupational vibration exposure in the context of industry 4 0
topic occupational vibration
risk assessment
workplace exposure
sensor-based monitoring
predictive risk analysis
url https://www.mdpi.com/2313-576X/11/2/31
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