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Protect your workforce from vibration-related health risks. Contact us today to discuss your vibration monitoring needs or to schedule a workplace assessment.

Vibration monitoring

Protecting workers from vibration hazards

Repeated exposure to high levels of vibration in the workplace can cause serious and lasting injuries. There are two main types of vibration exposure:

Whole-body vibration (WBV):

WBV occurs when vibration passes through the body from a vibrating surface that a worker may be sitting or standing on, such as mobile machinery (trucks, graders and rollers) or vibrating plant (crushers and screens). Frequent and excessive WBV can lead to pain in the lower back, shoulders and neck and is influenced by factors like poor maintenance of equipment or roads and inadequate seating or posture.

Hand-arm vibration (HAV):

HAV is transmitted from vibrating tools (such as drills, grinders, compactors and jackhammers) to the worker’s hands and arms. Prolonged exposure can cause hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS), resulting in numbness, tingling, reduced grip strength, pain and even carpal tunnel syndrome. HAV directly injures tendons, joints and muscles, affecting feeling, dexterity and overall hand function.

Vibration monitoring

FAQs

  • When should vibration exposure be assessed for workers?

    Vibration exposure should be assessed where workers regularly use vibrating tools or equipment, such as grinders, drills or mobile plant. It is also important when introducing new equipment, changing work practices, or where there is uncertainty about the level of exposure.

  • What are the long-term risks of unmanaged vibration exposure?

    Unmanaged vibration exposure can lead to long-term health conditions such as hand-arm vibration syndrome and musculoskeletal disorders. These risks can develop over time if exposure is not properly assessed and controlled.

  • Can monitoring reduce long-term health and liability risks?

    Yes. Monitoring provides objective data on worker exposure, allowing organisations to implement appropriate controls and demonstrate due diligence. This helps reduce long-term health risks and supports compliance with workplace health and safety obligations.

Vibration surveys and assessment

Employers and PCBUs have a duty under workplace health and safety regulations to eliminate or minimise risks associated with WBV and HAV exposure. This includes ensuring workers are not exposed to vibration levels exceeding the respective exposure standards. If there is uncertainty about exposure, vibration monitoring must be carried out.

Our experienced consultants conduct comprehensive vibration surveys using specialised equipment (accelerometers) to measure both WBV and HAV exposures. For WBV, the accelerometer is placed on the seat or backrest of mobile machinery or on vibrating platforms to assess exposure levels and evaluate the effectiveness of existing controls. For HAV, the accelerometer is attached to an adapter and positioned between the operator’s hand and the tool handle to help accurately measure vibration transmitted to the worker.

We follow recognised international and industry best practice standards to assess and evaluate vibration exposures. Our surveys help identify sources of vibration, assess current controls and provide expert recommendations for eliminating or minimising risks.

FAQs

 
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