Preliminary laboratory study of dynamic sitting and mechanical shock on high-speed planing boat coxswain

Repeated mechanical shocks and whole-body vibration (WBV) inherent in high- speed planing crafts expose occupants to high level of biomechanical stress and strain with increased risk of acute and chronic musculoskeletal disorders. The multi-axial nature and combined translational-rotational stimuli of the ‘slams’ mean very few conventional biomechanical testing is suitable for understanding their injury mechanisms. The present study intents to investigate what could be learnt from a laboratory-based dynamic sitting trial in understanding potential injury mechanisms of the boat crew without exposing them to excessive experimental transits on the changing sea.