Epidemiological Evidence for New Frequency Weightings of Hand-Transmitted Vibration

Stress and strain distributions in the human hand-arm system using finite element analysis

“…Figure 9 clearly shows that the ISO 5349-1 weighting underestimates the potential injury of the hand (VWF) above 20 Hz, since the discrepancy between the strain-based weighting for the palm and ISO 5349-1 weighting increases above 20 Hz. The results of the present study corroborate the results of Thomas and Beauchamp [15] and the study of Bovenzi [13] on the discrepancy in the use of the current ISO 5349-1 frequency weighting for the assessment of VWF. Bovenzi [13] summarized the findings of 25 papers on comparison of VWF prediction based on the ISO weighting with epidemiological studies.…”

“…The results of the present study corroborate the results of Thomas and Beauchamp [15] and the study of Bovenzi [13] on the discrepancy in the use of the current ISO 5349-1 frequency weighting for the assessment of VWF. Bovenzi [13] summarized the findings of 25 papers on comparison of VWF prediction based on the ISO weighting with epidemiological studies. The study showed that 33.3% of the papers reported underestimation of VWF risk in workers who operated high speed (high frequency) vibration tools (riveting tools, grinders), while 52.4 % reported that ISO weighting overestimated VWF risk in worker groups exposed to percussive tools (rock drills, road breakers, stone hammers and sand rammers) (low frequency tools), and 14.3 % reported good agreement for forestry workers, snowmobile drivers and stone workers using rotary tools.…”

“…These research efforts have resulted to several national and international standards [11] on how to measure, assess and mitigate HTV and the associated potential injuries. However, some studies have presented conflicting results between injury assessments (particularly for the vibration-induced white fingers) based on the current ISO 5349-1 guidelines and frequency weighting [11] and epidemiological studies [12], [13]. A recent study [14] have also shown that a single weighting proposed in [11] cannot account for the frequency-dependence of all factors (e.g.…”

Relationships of neurosensory disorders and reduced work ability to alternative frequency weightings of hand-transmitted vibration

“…In a previously published study of VWF in this cohort (5), we found that measures of daily vibration exposure, which give relatively more weight to intermediate and high frequency vibration [ie, A (8) The frequency-dependence of either acute reduction in finger blood flow or chronic disorders of finger circulation caused by exposure to HTV is supported by the results of experimental and epidemiological studies of either healthy subjects or HTV-exposed workers affected with VWF (29).…”

Vibration on board and health effects

“…The association between exposure to hand-arm vibrations and both vascular and neurological disorders causing white fingers and tingling and numbness of the fingers has been demonstrated in several studies [6]. Based on epidemiological data a dose-response relation has been established [1], although some controversy remains on this issue concerning the frequency weighting [5].…”