Since the 50s the possibility that severe exposures to whole-body vibration (WBV) may constitute a health risk has been discussed. Over these years the literature in the field shows that WBV may contribute to risks for low-back injuries. The exposure-response relationship, however, has not been clarified. WBV may occur in working machines operators and in most vehicles drivers. Bus drivers are commonly considered as a control group in epidemiological studies due to long durations of exposure of vibration, prolonged sitting, and other factors common to car driving which might be associated with low back pain. In this context, the aim of this study is to determine the levels of vibration for intercity bus drivers based on ISO 2631-1/1997 standard. The acceleration levels are recorded during their working day, in different roads located in the central region of the Brazil covering 6 Brazilian states. It was investigated public and private roads, since the difference in pavement quality between them are particularly significant. Sixteen bus drivers drove similar buses of the same model and age, instrumented to measure WBV in the seat. It was study 7 routes varying from 160 km to 650 km. In addition it was possible to investigate the influence of the body index mass in the weighted r.m.s. acceleration measured. The results show that the routes had a significant effect on all vibration parameters. Based on exposure values recommended in the standard, the results indicate potential risk of health effects since the exposure action limit was exceeded.
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