An investigation of the effects of drill operator posture on vibration exposure and temporary threshold shift of vibrotactile perception threshold

Peer reviewed publication - HAVS

Summary

Internationally, standards are adhering to the use of tool vibration values based upon ISO 5349-1 to prevent HAVS among the industrial workforce. It is unclear whether the values from the proposed test protocols or the measurement of vibration magnitudes (in accordance with ISO 5349-1) are applicable to all scenarios in authentic working conditions. The experimental method was developed to clarify whether tool vibration measurement values can be used to assess the risk of authentic workplace vibration exposure. The conclusions of the present study are somewhat limited by the presence of a single tool and should be confirmed with future studies considering other tools and usage conditions. The following conclusions were drawn:

(a) The existing international standards for assessing human exposure to hand–arm vibration based upon the ISO 5349-1 utilising tool vibration measurement values may not effectively capture posture factors and individual human response to vibration.

(b) A new evaluation method to assess HTV inclusive of the limitations outlined within Annex D would be desirable.

(c) The results demonstrate that there is a potential requirement for apparatus suitable for hand-transmitted measurement on the human operative as a means of assessing real time work environment exposure.

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