Transmission of vibration from tool handle to wrist and to head

Transmission of vibration from the handle of the tool to the handarm system was investigated by measuring vibration in pairs from the source and from the wrist and head. The frequency response function was applied to describe the transmission properties. The measurements were taken at work places to evaluate the effect of different work-related factors on the transmission. Laboratory measurements were conducted to evaluate the effect of different grip forces and the use of protective gloves on the transmission. The field measurements comprised five different groups of workers whose exposure to vibration was evaluated and whose observed symptoms of vibration-induced white finger (VWF) was compared to the predicted ones based on the exposure data and on ISO 5349. The comparison of the prevalence data was in good agreement for the forest workers. The ISO method seemed to underestimate the genesis of VWF in workers who had to use high grip forces and for whom the vibration comprised high values of impulsiveness. The present results suggest that the frequency response function as independent of the input signal may thus describe factors important to the transmission of vibration.