Investigation of the relationship between exposure to whole body vibration of operators working in natural stone quarries and phsysical- mechanical properties of produced rock

Mining is one of the oldest and most dangerous professions in history. Mine workers are exposed to many physical and psychological risk factors. The most important factor in mining is the health and safety of workers. In mines where occupational health and safety is not fully ensured, workers are exposed to occupational accidents and occupational diseases. Mine workers are exposed to biological and physical risk factors. Natural stone mining is widely practiced by open pit method. Vibration exposure is common among excavator operators in an open pit mine. The vibration to which the excavator operator is exposed is directly affected by the hardness and structure of the rock. As the rock hardness increases, the operator increases the machine power and more vibration occurs in this direction. Operators are very likely to get occupational diseases as a result of the vibration they are exposed to. In this study, samples taken from fifteen different quarries were analyzed by rock mechanics tests. Whole body vibration exposures of excavator operators in each quarry were measured. The relationship between the vibration measurement results and the properties of the characterized specimens was examined. As a result of the evaluations, the precautions to be taken by the employee and the employer are indicated.