The Use of Coconut Fiber Padded Seat in Reducing Vibration and Fatigue of Bus Drivers
DOI: 10.20473/ijosh.v11isi.2022.1-9
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Summary
This study investigates the efficacy of coconut fiber padded seats in mitigating whole-body vibration (WBV) and work fatigue among intercity bus drivers. The research was motivated by the occupational health risks associated with prolonged exposure to engine-induced vibrations, which are linked to musculoskeletal disorders, accelerated fatigue, and increased accident risks. While ergonomic seating is known to reduce vibration transmission, this study specifically evaluated a low-cost, natural material intervention to determine if it could significantly lower vibration levels and subsequent driver fatigue compared to standard unpadded seats. The researchers employed an experimental design involving 42 bus drivers in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, divided into a control group (21 drivers without padding) and a treatment group (21 drivers with coconut fiber padding). Participants were selected via simple random sampling and met specific inclusion criteria, including age (20–55 years) and absence of chronic diseases. The intervention involved constructing seat cushions using layered coconut fiber and foam. Preliminary testing on five drivers compared 6 cm and 8 cm thicknesses; the 6 cm padding was selected for the main study as it offered sufficient vibration reduction while maintaining ergonomic compatibility with the vehicle’s steering wheel and seat height. Vibration intensity was measured using a vibrometer (Svantek/SV 106) in accordance with ISO 2631-1:1997 standards, while work fatigue was objectively assessed using a reaction timer (L 77 tool) measuring response times to light stimuli. Measurements were taken before and after shifts lasting over eight hours. Data were analyzed using t-tests to compare mean differences between groups. The results demonstrated statistically significant reductions in both vibration and fatigue for the treatment group. The mean whole-body vibration for drivers without padding was 1.23 m/s², whereas those using the 6 cm coconut fiber pad experienced a mean vibration of 0.55 m/s² (p=0.001). Regarding fatigue, drivers in the control group showed a mean increase in reaction time of 136.49 ms after work, indicating significant fatigue accumulation. In contrast, the treatment group showed a mean increase of only 40.26 ms. The difference in post-work fatigue levels between the two groups was 96.23 ms, which was statistically significant (p=0.001). Socio-demographic factors such as age and length of service did not show a significant association with the use of padded seats or the outcomes measured. The study concludes that coconut fiber padded seats are an effective, ergonomic intervention for reducing WBV exposure and mitigating work fatigue in bus drivers. By lowering vibration transmission to levels below the regulatory threshold, the padding helps preserve driver cognitive performance and reduces the risk of vibration-induced health disorders. The findings imply that incorporating natural fiber padding into vehicle seat designs is a viable occupational safety measure that can enhance driver comfort and safety without requiring complex mechanical modifications.
Key finding
Bus drivers using coconut fiber padded seats experienced statistically significant reductions in whole-body vibration intensity and work fatigue compared to drivers using unpadded seats.
Methodology
lab_experiment
Sample size: 42
Provenance
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| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| discover | success | Crossref | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-05 |
| archive | success | canonical_url | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-06 |
| extract | success | cached | — | — | 3 | 2026-06-10 |
| clean | success | clean | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-05 |
| chunk | success | chunk | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-05 |
| embed | success | embed | Qwen/Qwen3-Embedding-8B | — | 1 | 2026-06-05 |
| promote | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-05 |
| summarize | success | llm | qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant | summ-v5 | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
| tag | success | vector_similarity | — | — | 15 | 2026-06-11 |
| verify | success | — | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.
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