Occupational Vibration

Hand Arm & Whole Body Vibration

For information on Environmental Vibration

New Regulations on Control of Vibration at Work

The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No 299 of 2007) revoke and replace the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Control of Vibration) Regulations 2006. Part 5 Chapter 2 of the 2007 Regulations specifically addresses Control of Vibration at Work.

The Regulations cover risks posed by exposure to excessive levels of vibration from machinery and will be enforced by the Health and Safety Authority. the regulations contain a minimum level of protection for employees and are made under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005.

The regulations set what are termed as ‘exposure action values’ i.e. the level of exposure which if exceeded requires specific action to be taken to reduce risk. Also ‘exposure limit values’ which are the levels of daily exposure which must not be exceeded for any employee. An employer must ensure that the risk arising from exposure of his or her employees to noise or vibration is either eliminated at source or reduced to a minimum. Where employees are likely to be exposed at or above a lower action value an employer must make a suitable and appropriate assessment of risk.

Construction, Forestry, Maintenance, Workshops, Mines, Quarries.................

Are YOU Prepared?

Hand Arm Vibration – Users of vibrating machinery and power tools such as chainsaws, drills, grinders, lawn mowers, air guns, concrete breakers, cleaning equipment, power washers, wood working machinery, jack hammers.........

Whole Body Vibration – Working on vibrating platforms and Drivers of mobile equipment such as tractors, fork lift trucks, earth moving machinery, trucks.......

Recent UK Research suggests over 40% of current users will be over the new limits

Research studies have demonstrated that vibration is a significant physical hazard in the work place and that exposure to hand-arm or whole-body vibration has the potential to inflict both short and long term physical damage. New EU Regulations with significant legal obligations on management of vibration hazards in the workplace were implemented during July 2006. In addition, compensation for vibration related injuries continue to escalate making it fiscally responsible for employers to take a proactive approach to monitoring and eliminating vibration hazards in the workplace.

Contact with a vibrating machine transfers vibration energy to a person's body. Depending on how the exposure occurs, vibration may affect a major part of the worker's body or only a particular organ

Segmental vibration exposure affects an organ, part or "segment" of the body. The most widely studied and most common type of segmental vibration exposure is Hand-Arm Vibration (HAV) exposure, which affects the hands and arms. Workers may be exposed to HAV when operating hand-held power tools such as road breakers & chain saws or when holding materials being worked by machines such as pedestal grinders. Exposure may result in a range of health effects collectively known as Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome or HAVS. The most well known health effect is vibration white finger, but other effects include damage to sensory nerves, muscles and joints in the hands and arms.

Whole body vibration (WBV) energy enters the body through a seat or the floor, it affects the entire body or a number of organs in the body. When a worker sits or stands on a vibrating floor or seat, the exposure affects almost the entire body and is called whole-body vibration exposure. Drivers of some mobile machines, including certain tractors, fork lift trucks and quarrying or earth-moving machinery or those who work on vibrating floors, may be exposed to WBV and shocks which are associated with back pain.

Vibration exposure is possible in many occupations where a worker comes in contact with vibrating machinery or equipment:

HAV is vibration transmitted from work processes into workers’ hands and arms. It can be caused by operating hand-held power tools such as road breakers, hand-guided equipment such as lawn mowers, or by holding materials being processed by machines such as pedestal grinders.

Regular and frequent exposure to high levels of vibration can lead to permanent injury. This is most likely when contact with a vibrating tool or process is a regular part of a person’s job. Occasional exposure is unlikely to cause injury.

Jobs requiring regular and frequent use of vibrating tools and equipment are found in a wide range of industries, for example:

There are hundreds of different types of tools and equipment, which can expose operators to high levels of hand-arm vibration. Some of the more common ones are:

Before you buy new equipment, consider any alternative way of working without using vibrating equipment. If not, introduce a low vibration purchasing policy in consultation with your managers and safety or employee representatives and let potential suppliers know about it. You should aim to buy the lowest vibration equipment suitable for the job. Manufacturers identify vibration levels in units of meters per second squared (m/s²).

Regular exposure to HAV can cause a range of permanent injuries to hands and arms, collectively known as hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). The injuries can include damage to the:

Vibration-induced white finger (VWF) is the most common condition among the operators of hand-held vibrating tools. Vibration can cause changes in tendons, muscles, bones and joints, and can affect the nervous system. Collectively, these effects are known as Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS). The symptoms of VWF are aggravated when the hands are exposed to cold.

The development of HAVS is gradual and increases in severity over time. It may take a few months to several years for the symptoms of HAVS to become noticeable.

WBV is caused by machinery vibration passing through the buttocks of seated people or the feet of standing people. The most widely reported WBV injury is back pain. Prolonged exposure can lead to considerable pain and time off work and may result in permanent injury and having to give up work.

Hazardous exposure to whole body vibration can be found in various forms including:

Those operating large static compaction, hammering and mobile crushers can be exposed to high levels of WBV

Regular exposure to whole-body vibration over many months or years can lead to damage and back pain. The longer you are exposed and the higher the level of whole-body vibration, the greater the chances of you suffering a back injury. Once you begin to suffer back pain, continued exposure to vibration is likely to make the pain worse. Prompt action to protect workers from vibration should stop the damage from getting worse.

WBV can be transmitted to the driver or operator from a vehicle or machine through the seat and into the driver’s body via the legs, buttocks and back. There are many factors that can either increase or decrease the exposure for the driver. These include:

Like other hazards at work vibration needs to be identified as a hazard and controlled using a risk management approach:

The level, type and duration of exposure, including any exposure to intermittent vibration or repeated shocks;

The exposure limit values and the exposure action values laid down in Article 3 of the Directive;

Any effects concerning the health and safety of workers at particularly sensitive risk;

Any indirect effects on worker safety resulting from interactions between mechanical vibration and the workplace or other work equipment;

Information provided by the manufacturers of work equipment in accordance with the relevant Community Directives;

The existence of replacement equipment designed to reduce the levels of exposure to mechanical vibration;

The extension of exposure to whole-body vibration beyond normal working hours under the employer ’s responsibility;

Appropriate information obtained from health surveillance, including published information, as far as possible.

Protecting workers from the effects of vibration usually requires a combination of appropriate tool selection, the use of appropriate vibration-absorbing materials (in gloves, for example), good work practices, and education programs.

Making the job - more worker friendly is the best way to correct the problem. Replacing the equipment with something that doesn't vibrate is the answer. However, three immediate but short-term solutions to decrease exposure include:

Training programs are an effective means of heightening the awareness of WBV in the workplace. Training should include proper use and maintain equipment to avoid unnecessary exposure to vibration.

Employees need to know about the hazard and what they should do to reduce the risk, for example:

Risk factors (e.g. high levels of vibration, daily length/regularity of exposure);

o Changes to working practices to reduce vibration exposure such as suspension adjustment for drivers weight, correct tyre pressure, steering the vehicle to avoid obstacles in the case of WBV. How to use tools to reduce grip force, strain etc for HAV

o Changes to work practices to reduce back pain such as sitting & posture, seating adjustment, suspension adjustment for drivers weight

o Maintenance of good blood circulation at work, e.g. by keeping warm, exercising fingers and not smoking.

(a) the daily exposure limit value standardised to an eight-hour reference period shall be 5m/s²,
(b) the daily exposure action value standardised to an eight-hour reference period shall be 2.5 m/s²

(a) the daily exposure limit value standardised to an eight-hour reference
period shall be 1.15 m/s²,
(b) the daily exposure action value standardised to an eight-hour reference
period shall be 0.5 m/s²

The exposure limit value (ELV) is the maximum daily level of vibration an employee may be exposed to. For HAV it is a daily exposure of 5 m/s2 and for WBV it is a daily exposure of 1.15 m/s2 .

The exposure action value is the level of daily exposure to vibration for any employee which, if exceeded, requires employers to take action to reduce risk. For HAV it is a daily exposure of 2.5 m/s2 and for WBV it is a daily exposure of 0.5 m/s2 .

The level of exposure to mechanical vibration may be assessed by means of observation of specific working practices and reference to relevant information on the equipment used in the particular conditions of use, including such information provided by the manufacturer of the equipment.
A sensible approach to vibration assessment is to first obtain details on the machinery/vehicles used and the usage time. Data on the likely vibration levels should then be obtained from one or more of the available data sources. Reputable machinery/vehicle manufacturers will usually be able to provide details about their products’ vibration level and regulatory agencies can often provide generic data about the vibration levels expected from common equipment and processes.

Comprehensive databases, which contain information on vibration, are accessible on the internet. Although some caution needs to be exercised when interpreting this data, in many cases the information can be used to estimate the likely exposure of workers using machinery/vehicles. Decisions can then be made on whether the equipment is suitable for the job and, if it is, what length of time it can be used for before the relevant exposure limits are reached. If the information is not available, if it is questionable, or the estimated exposure looks like it might be above the exposure limit value, consideration should be given to undertaking exposure measurements.

Vibration values declared by the manufacturer of a tool or machine can be useful for comparison purposes, however as discussed earlier they can underestimate the severity of vibration exposure in some jobs. A more reliable evaluation of the vibration can be gained by referring to measurements obtained for comparable activities.

The Centralised European Database is the most comprehensive available at: http://umetech.niwl.se/English/. The database is hosted by a web server at the National Institute for Working Life North, Umeå, Sweden. Between 1 May 1998 and 30 April 2001, this assignment was a part of activities within the EU BIOMED 2 Concerted Action Programme, "Research Network on Detection and Prevention of Injuries Due to Occupational Vibration Exposures", (contract No. BMH4-CT98-3251 DG12-SSMI). This database permits identification of expected vibration levels on may tools and machines.

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Canadian Study on exposure to whole body vibration in mining, construction and long haul

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) Physical Agents: Vibration. Information regarding health effects of hand-arm and whole-body vibration as well as the measurement, control and applicable standards applicable to vibration control and assessment.

Workers Compensation Board British Columbia report. Whole-body Vibration and Back Disorders among motor vehicle drivers and heavy equipment operators – A review of the scientific evidence http://www.soeh.ubc.ca/research/WBV_Report.pdf [210kb]

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