Research into hand-arm vibration syndrome and its prevention in Japan

Research on vibration syndrome in Japan began in the 1930s with studies of the disorder among railway, mining and shipyard workers. In 1947, the Ministry of Labor decided vibration syndrome among operators of rock drills and riveters etc. was an occupational disease. Industrial developments in the 1950s and 1960s promoted the survey of vibration syndrome in mining, stone quarrying and forestry. The Ministry of Labor (1965) and the National Personnel Agency (1966) legally recognized vibration syndrome among chain saw operators as an occupational disease. Guidelines for prevention and early therapy were issued in the 1970s and 80s. From the late 1970s into the 1980s, research focused on the clinical picture, diagnostic methods and therapy. In pathophysiology, advances were made in research into the autonomic nervous system during the 1980s. The 1970s and 80s saw a steady reduction in risk from technological change and working conditions, and advances in medical care, education and meteorological forecasting. A comprehensive prevention system established in the 1980s in the Japanese forest industry involved: 1) work restrictions, 2) an improved health care system, 3) advances in the design of vibrating tools, handle-warming devices, and 4) improved worker education. This comprehensive preventive system was legally introduced into other industries, resulting in a rapid decrease in the incidence of vibration syndrome in Japan.