Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 20, 2026
Measurement of the Hand Transmitted Vibration of the Human Hand Arm System During Operation of a Hand Tractor
Published on: June 16, 2021
Biodynamic response of human fingers in a power grip subjected to a random vibration
R G Dong1, D E Welcome, T W McDowell
1Engineering & Control Technology Branch, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505, USA. rkd6@cdc.gov
Background:
Knowledge of the biodynamic response (BR) of the human hand-arm system is an important part of the foundation for the measurement and assessment of hand-transmitted vibration exposure. This study investigated the BR of human fingers in a power grip subjected to a random vibration.
Method:
Ten male subjects were used in the experiment. Each subject applied three coupling actions to a simulated tool handle at three different finger grip force levels.
Results And Conclusions:
The BR is practically independent of the hand coupling actions for frequencies at or above 100 Hz. Above 50 Hz, the BR is correlated to finger and hand sizes. Increasing the finger coupling force significantly increases the BR. Therefore, hand forces should be measured and used when assessing hand-transmitted vibration exposure. The results also show that under a constant-velocity vibration, the finger vibration power absorption at frequencies above 200 Hz is approximately twice that at frequencies below 100 Hz. This suggests that the frequency weighting specified in the current ISO 5349-1 (2001) may underestimate the high frequency effect on vibration-induced finger disorders.
