Vibration

Good vibrations? Not even for people who like them!
Vibrations are felt very differently by different people and, once they reach a certain level of intensity or if exposure is constant, they result in damage. Whole-body vibration, as caused by driving forklift trucks or operating construction machinery, can damage the lumbar vertebrae. Hand-arm vibration, caused by such activities as chiselling, grinding or working with paving breakers, can damage the joints but also the nerves.

The Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance relating to Noise and Vibrations (“Lärm- und Vibrations-Arbeitsschutzverordnung”), introduced in 2007, stipulated compulsory limit values for weighted vibration acceleration for the first time. These values thus have to be taken into account when conducting risk assessments. In the vibration facility, participants determine and assess the vibration levels of hand-held machinery. The forklift truck provides them with hands-on experience of whole-body vibration. Thanks to state-of-the-art measurement equipment, the results are presented in a practical on-line system.

Facility resources

• Four-channel analyser
• Calibrator and various acceleration sensors
• Pneumatic chipping hammers and various hammer drills

Topics covered

• Requirements and implementation of the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance relating to Noise and Vibrations (“Lärm- und Vibrations-Arbeitsschutzverordnung”)
• Technical requirements for measuring vibrations
• Estimation of exposure to vibration based on information supplied by the manufacturer and databases
• Influence of vibration on humans