The Influence of Individual Factors on the Absorption of Vibration Energy in the Hand and Arm

Abstract

The detrimental effects of vibrating hand-held tools upon humans have been known for a long time, and determination of the absorption of vibration energy into the operator's hand and arm could be an alternative method of risk assessment. The energy absorption in the hand and arm during exposure to random vibration has been measured in 84 subjects. A special handle was used during the measurements. The influence of various experimental conditions, such as vibration level (3–12 m/s2), vibration direction (Xh, Yh, Zh), and grip force (25–75 N) as well as individual biological factors were studied. The results show that energy absorption is influenced by exposure directions and levels as well as grip forces. Furthermore, the results show that individual biological differences between subjects, for instance age, hand volume and hand thickness, have a significant influence on the amount of absorbed energy.