completed 12/2021
The insufficient basic principles and processes for assessing occupational diseases OD 2103 and OD 2104 that have been in place up to now lead to differences in the assessment of these occupational diseases, and thus, to unequal treatment. The aim of the overall study is to differentiate occupational diseases OD 2103 and 2104 based on the level of vibration exposure, and to determine a dose-response relationship for OD 2103. As part of the FP FÖ 297 research funding project and in conjunction with IFA project 1105 (Epidemiological case-control study for risk assessment of frequency-dependent hand-arm vibrations), the vibration exposure is to be established in terms of specific key figures of its frequency content. In this sub-project, these key figures are to be defined by means of vibration measurements at workplaces and retrospective analysis of recorded old data.
The high level of required measurements (approx. 1,000 machines) that were to be performed within a limited time were to be divided between different measurement bodies. In addition to performing its own measurements, the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA) also took over responsibility for coordinating the external measurement bodies and the involved German Social Accident Insurance institutions that had measurement bodies, such as the German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the Woodworking and Metalworking Industries (BGHM) and the German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the Construction Sector (BG BAU). The measurement data was uploaded to the cadastre, which is compatible with the medical history software, and is therefore available to all German Social Accident Insurance institutions throughout the project. Furthermore, the exposure data can also be used for risk analysis and prevention work. The work equipment and machines to be investigated could only be defined once the project was under way.
Various factors, such as restructuring of the German Social Accident Insurance institutions involved and increased awareness of data protection amongst those involved in the study, made it necessary for the originally planned end of the case study, which was 2011, to be extended to 2021. A reduction in the measurement sites, which was brought about as a result of restructuring activities, resulted in a significant increase in the amount of work that the IFA was required to perform, since the planned measurements (by external measurement facilities, BGHM, the German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the raw materials and chemical industry [BG RCI] and BG BAU) could no longer be completed at the planned levels. This meant that the IFA was now responsible for carrying out lots of measurements on devices and the identification of comparable devices in order to estimate the vibration loads.
In the original study plans, recruiting of 500 cases and 500 controls was planned. This was subsequently changed to 250 cases and 750 controls due to an unexpected increase in the amount of time required. The researchers believed that this would not have a significant influence on the statistical significance of the project. This was confirmed through statistical evaluations of the project.
Over the course of the project, the vibration cadastre was expanded to include over 730 technical tools and devices. Of these, vibration data for 423 devices was used for exposure assessment in the epidemiological case-control study. The devices used were divided into a total of 15 device groups: Hammers, grinding machines, compactors, screwdrivers and saws were the most frequently used devices.
Since the same devices were used at some workplaces and the workplaces had comparable prevailing working conditions, it was possible to use measurement data multiple times for several workplaces. As a result of this situation, the assumption made at the start of the project that many more device measurements would be required was not borne out in reality.
In this study, the person-based vibration values were based almost entirely on vibration measurements (approx. 90% direct measurements and 9.9% measurements on comparable devices). The influences of a wide range of different technical conditions (e.g. same device with different work processes, used material etc.) were taken into account during the vibration measurements. Only approx. 0.1% of the individual vibration data is based on expert estimates. The quality of the exposure assessment method used in this project therefore achieves the maximum degree of validity compared to previously published studies.
-cross sectoral-
Type of hazard:noise/vibrations
Catchwords:vibration, load, musculoskeletal disorders (except cancer)
Description, key words:vibration, occupational disease Nos. 2103, 2104, measurement of exposure, dose-effect relationship, frequency composition, hand-arm vibration
Sun, Y.; Kaulbars, U.; Eckert, W.; Raffler, N.; Bochmann, F.: Risk Assessment of Musculoskeletal Disorders among Workers Exposed to Hand-Arm-Vibration: Design, Exposure Assessment Methods and First Results of an Epidemiological Case-Control Study, ICHAV 2019, Bonn, 21.–24.05.2019