Posted By Ken Urquhart
Ian.

I am not aware of any particular legislation that restricts the length of driver time operating such machines on the public highways. There is much legislation however about travelling on the public highway, position of the backacter, state of lights,type of fuel used:ie Duty paid, licensing of the driver, taxed and insured machine for road use,carriage of spare fuel drums and other equipment in the front bucket etc., etc.,

Are you particularly concerned about a JCB machine or do you use the term in a generic sense which encompasses other manufactured models.

I suggest that you talk to JCB direct or one of their key agents/distributors.
E-mail them via their web site:www.jcb.co.uk
I would add, (and I have no particular involvement or allegience to JCB) JCB over recent years have expended efforts to develop and incorporate good ergonomic design for operator comfort and safety of operation into their ranges of machines and I believe that they see it as their responsibility as a leading designer/manufacturer to continue doing this.

It is interesting that you raise this topic as there is some evidenvce that operator vibration whilst sitting in/on and operating certain items of Construction Plant/Machines MAY be causing Musculo skeletal/ Spinal harm. However there are very mixed views on this.

If you check out the Construction News of 18th., October you will see that it carries a lead editorial piece that reports on the proposed European law to restrict Dumper operators driving time for the very reason that you have raised in your question; That of vibration and possible health damage to the operator/driver.

Check out the European Health and Safety site for the draft EC document.The document is:

The Physical Agents (Vibrations) Directive

Suggest also that you talk to the CPA, Contractors Plant Association who should have some information and also the Construction Confederation who will be looking at the proposals.

I would suggest that the age of a machine and its general condition and maintaience might have some relation to the potential for vibration of the operator/driver and if there is any real issue here that skeletal injury can/does arise, probably more recently made machines are better insulated against this risk.

Try also the HSE pages as the HSE have awareness of this issue and will be liaising re the proposed EC legislation.
Talk to EMAS the HSE Medical section as they will also have a view on this.

Overall I think this will be an issue that will generate much debate and that will require much reserch to clearly establish if there is any significant risk from machine vibration to the human skeleton in industrial machine and vehicle operation/driving.


If the EC directive is translated into legislation then there will be need for adoption into domestic UK legislation. This will likely mean consultation within British industry and commerce and particularly I would think would attract strong interest from the Construction industry and The Construction Plant manufacturing and Hire sectors.

Perhaps you could keep us informed through this forum of the results of your research on this topic.
Any other of the Construction group got any more up to the minute information and or views on this one - Lets hear from you.

Regards.

Ken Urquhart

Posted By Richard Webber
Ian,
The HSE publication IND (G) 242L entitled "In the Driving Seat" may help you with this question.

Kind regards

Richard