Investigation of Job Stress among Urban Bus Drivers Concerning Daily Noise and Vibration Exposure

Abstract

Background and Objective: Bus drivers are exposed to harmful agents such as noise and vibration, which may increase the level of job stress among them. This study aimed to evaluate job stress among urban bus drivers concerning daily noise and vibration exposure. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 103 urban bus drivers in Hamadan in 2020. The drivers' exposure to noise and vibration was measured using Svan 104 and Svan 106, respectively. Their job stress was measured through the Phillippe L. Rice questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using SPSS (version 24). Results: The mean exposure of drivers to noise was 79.50 ± 3.51 dB. Their exposure levels to whole-body vibrations (WBV) and hand-arm vibrations (HAV) were 0.62 ± 0.16 and 0.44 ± 0.06 m/s2, respectively. Moreover, most drivers (87.4%) had severe job stress. A significant positive relationship was observed between noise and job stress (P=0.021), whereas there was no significant relationship between WBV, HAV, and job stress. Conclusion: Regarding the high prevalence of severe job stress among bus drivers and the positive correlation between noise and job stress, it is highly recommended that noise exposure be subsided through periodic services and maintenance, as well as using new buses instead of the old ones.

Keywords

• bus drivers
• hand-arm vibration
• job stress
• noise
• whole-body vibration