Health effects of mechanical vibration

Abstract

In this study, the health disorders caused by occupational exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV) and hand-transmitted vibration (HTV) are reviewed. Long-term occupational exposure to intense WBV is associated with an increased risk for disorders of the lumbar spine and the connected nervous system. With a lower probability, the neck-shoulder, the gastrointestinal system, the female reproductive organs, the peripheral veins, and the cochleo-vestibular system are also assumed to be affected by WBV. However, there is a weak epidemiologic support for WBV-induced disorders of organ systems other than the lower back. Prolonged exposure to HTV from powered processes or tools is associated with an increased occurrence of symptoms and signs of disorders in the vascular, neurological and osteoarticular systems of the upper limbs. The complex of these disorders is called hand-arm vibration syndrome. This paper provides qualitative and quantitative information on occupational exposure to mechanical vibration in the European Union based on a report by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (2000). Protection and health surveillance of vibration-exposed workers are discussed in the context of the European Directive 2002/44/EC on mechanical vibration and the guidelines prepared by the Italian Society of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene.