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ERGONOMIC SCHOOL BUS DRIVER SEAT DRIVERSBut the sum of the stresses and the resulting strain leads to bus drivers having more frequent health problems than other workers. Numerous studies of the activity of bus drivers have shown that the individual stresses are not great enough to cause an immediate health hazard. Ergonomic shortcomings in the driver’s workstation increase physical stresses. Rotating shift work is also psychologically and physically stressful. Psychological stresses result from the responsibility for the safe transport of passengers, scant opportunity to communicate with colleagues and the time pressure of holding to a fixed schedule. In most transit companies, the drivers must, in addition to driving responsibilities, handle tasks such as selling tickets, observing passenger loading and unloading and providing information to passengers. ![]() Most severe are the stresses of traffic in big cities, because of the heavy traffic and frequent stops. If a driver is off work with back pain, for example, records can indicate how their cab environment was set up, ruling out poorly suited driving conditions as the cause.Bus driving is characterized by psychological and physical stresses. This also brings with it traceability benefits. ERGONOMIC SCHOOL BUS DRIVER SEAT MANUALThis technology improves driver ergonomics without the hassle of manual adjustment. Suddenly, concerns over time expenditure are no longer valid. This removes the human error of a driver adjusting a pneumatic column to where they ‘think’ is correct. A driver can scan their key fob upon entry, and the steering column, dashboard, mirrors and seat will adjust to the driver’s pre-recorded ideal position. Most impressive is the memory feature of this technology. The technology, in collaboration with Continental and seat manufacturer Isri, has made the entire cab environment adjustable with the touch of a button. Pailton Engineering is developing an electric memory steering column for commercial vehicles, based on technology nurtured in the automotive sector. Luckily for the concerned fleet managers, new automation is making this higher level of cabin adjustment easier and faster. They may question the long-term health and safety benefits of ensuring every driver is in the optimal driving position, compared with the time and energy expended on these recurring adjustments. Yet for commercial vehicle operators, the thought of fully adjusting the entire cabin environment, including seat, mirrors, steering column and dashboard, for every driver on every shift, may sound too time-consuming and costly. For Pailton Engineering, an engineering business that has a unique market position offering bespoke, non-standard design, this trend is exactly its forte. Going forward, as more vehicle original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) follow suit, the interface between the steering column and the dashboard will likely require bespoke design, as catalogue steering parts may not interface the dashboard correctly. ![]() This paradigm has changed the engineering requirements of steering columns. When the driver adjusts the steering wheel, the dashboard follows that adjustment, ensuring the driver can reach all the switches and see all the gauges without strain. ERGONOMIC SCHOOL BUS DRIVER SEAT FULLBy building a full dashboard assembly, the entire dashboard is adjustable in both the tilt and telescope direction. Rather than considering the steering column and dashboard as two separate entities, where the steering column is adjustable and the dashboard is fixed, they work in conjunction with each other. The office cab concept counteracts this issue. In an office space, it is already well appreciated that ensuring an employee’s workstation is comfortable will enable better work and healthier staff in the long-term, but for drivers of commercial vehicles, such considerations have been lacking. It puts people first and aims to ensure the equipment and environment fits the human. Ergonomics is the science concerned with the fit between people and their work. If we are going to keep commercial drivers safe and healthy, design engineers need to factor in a higher level of ergonomic consideration in the early design stages. Just as an office worker has the flexibility to change seating position, adjust screen height and keyboard location, the bus driver should feel just as comfortable and physically supported. The entire vehicle cabin should be, and can be, as ergonomic and adjustable as the conventional office workplace. The bus is their workspace, and operators are beginning to see the importance of creating a workspace that the driver can be proud of. Drivers are in the cabin for eight hours a day. ![]()
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