Vibration Exposure Of Workers: Considerations
On Some Technical And Interpretative Aspects Of
The EC Standards Recently Issued
Author(s)
L. Baralis, C. Cigna & M. Patrucco
Abstract
The 2002/44/CE directive on occupational vibrations exposure, following the
trend introduced with the recent review of the related ISO standards (ISO 2631
and ISO 5349), rises to great evidence the problem of an effective evaluation and
management of the vibration related risk; but, since the aforesaid directive is not
yet enforced in Italy, the new approach suggests a pause of reflection. This
directive, with the necessary differences, adopts evaluation and protection
criteria substantially common to those used for a number of physical risks, in
particular for noise exposure assessment. However it introduces important
modifications, in particular for whole-body exposure, previously commonly
considered as an ergonomic problem, and now positively included in the list of
occupational factors which can cause health impairment. In any case the
introduction of assessment criteria adopted at European level will stimulate
further investigations on this risk factor, still poorly known. It still remains in
fact to fully understand the intrinsic relation between exposure parameters,
related pathologies and the possibility to correlate and to quantify the
interference between vibration exposure and other noxious agents (e.g.
microclimatic conditions or problems related to cumulative trauma or efforts).
The hope is that the compulsory respect of exposure limits now clearly defined,
together with the growing conscience of the importance - even in terms of
workers health protection - of the former directive 89/392/EEC will lead to a
great impulse for the introduction of equipment specially engineered to reduce
the vibrations emission at the source, for a revision of work organization and
procedures, and for the improvement of the currently available individual
protection devices. The paper discusses the results of some measurement
campaigns of worker exposure recently carried out, and investigates the available
updated control measures, according to the target levels provided by the new
European standards; some comments are also summarized about the national
situation.
Keywords: vibration exposure, occupational safety and health, machinery, EC
standards, risk management.
Keywords
vibration exposure, occupational safety and health, machinery, EC
standards, risk management.
Related Book
Other papers in this volume
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