Practical approach to measurement and evaluation of exposure to whole-body vibration in the workplace

This article will present an overview of the history and current state-of-the-art of occupationally induced human whole-body vibration. A recommended step-by-step approach for recognizing, measuring, evaluating, and controlling whole-body vibration will be outlined. The fundamentals of vibration physics, potential vibration sources to which laborers may be exposed, and the propagation characteristics of vibration through the human body will be presented. Currently available national and international whole-body severity criteria and standards will be summarized, and the components constituting a vibration measurement instrumentation chain will be discussed in detail.