A Critical Analysis on the Report of the Use of Snowmobiles at Yellowstone National Park

A Critical Analysis on the Report of the Use of Snowmobiles at Yellowstone National Park

Sharon W Black

Columbia Southern University

Industrial Ergonomics

BOS 3701-08C-1A12-S3,

Dr. Denis Bourcier

August 10, 2012

During the period of February 17 to February 25, 2000, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Hazard conducted an ergonomics evaluation of all personnel at Yellowstone National Park (YNP) who frequently rides on snowmobiles. The results of this evaluation are titled: “NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation Report: HETA #99-0283-2855 of Yellowstone National Park”. (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health [NIOSH], 2001)

NIOSH was asked by OSHA to determine if riding snowmobiles to patrol roads and maintain the park was causing injuries and muscle pains among the park workers who use them. This was in direct relationship to the amount of musculoskeletal disorders, as well as disorders of the hands, arms, shoulders, and back from riding the snowmobiles for up to 10 hours per day during the winter months at the park being reported by the employees of the parks whose specific duties required snowmobile use as part of their routine activities. This request came as a result of an

The National Park Service requesting the assistance of OSHA on October 6, 1998. (www.osha.gov)

A variety of tests were conducted as part of this investigation those tests included:

A coordination/ tremor test, the results of this test showed significant variations between the right and left hands which suggested the right hand(the throttle hand) showed that snowmobile use caused hand fatigue on the employees tested.(NIOSH, 2001)

Another test that was used in this report was the Vibrotactile Sensitivity test, previous research on a study group of reindeer herders who used snowmobiles found a significant relationship between the vibration exposure and increased vibration thresholds. While results in the YNP study were inconclusive, they were consistent with...