The research was done, to show and determine what noise levels and vibration levels the excavator operator is exposed during construction of skidding roads. The main hypothesis was that the values measured in the field would notexceed the action and limit values determined by Slovenian law acts on workersʼ health. Measurements were performed at two sites, at the forest management unit (FMU) Slovenj Gradec and at FMU Kočevje. At FMU Slovenj Gradecthe soil structure was soft and stone-less, at FMU Kočevje the soil basis was heavily rocky. The measurements and a time study were made for two different excavators (Takeuchi TB 070, Caterpillar 323 D) with two different operators. The highest exposures to noise were measured at FMU Slovenj Gradec during the movement of the excavator (76.12 dB(A)), at FMU Kočevje during shifting and mechanical chorusing of rocks at the same time (79.86 dB(A)). The highest exposures to vibrations were measured at FMU Slovenj Gradec during displacement of logging residuals and wood from construction area (1.20 m/s2) and shifting of excavator between operations at FMU Kočevje (1.24 m/s2). Estimated daily noise exposure level corrected with impact of impulsive noise didnʼt exceed lower exposure action values (80 dB(A)) at any excavator (77.06 dB(A), 79,97 dB(A)). On the contrary exposure to whole-body vibrations (0.78 m/s2, 0.97 m/s2) did exceed daily exposure action value (0.5 m/s2), but not limit value (1.15 m/s2).
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