Whole body vibration

Contents
1. Whole body vibration 2. Controlling the risks 3. How exposure occurs 4. Regulations

Regular long term exposure to whole body vibration (WBV) is associated with back pain alongside other factors such as poor posture and heavy lifting.

Look out for WBV risks where any commercial/industrial/construction vehicles are driven regularly for most of the day.

The risks can be controlled by good management. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE offers publications on this topic.

Publications on whole body vibration from the HSE

Vibration transmitted through the seat or feet (known as whole-body vibration or WBV). Drivers of some mobile machines, including certain tractors, fork lift trucks and quarrying or earth-moving machinery, may be exposed to WBV and shocks, which are associated with back pain. Other work factors, such as posture and heavy lifting, are also known to contribute to back problems for drivers and the relative importance of WBV is not clear at present.

If employers comply with the Vibration Regulations and follow guidance, it may be possible to reduce excesses of back pain from whole body vibration. There are simple, non-technical and common sense measures which can be introduced to reduce exposure to vibration.

The regulations introduce action and limit values for hand-arm and whole-body vibration.

The regulations introduce an:

• Exposure action value of 0.5m/s2 A(8) at which level employers should introduce technical and organisational measures to reduce exposure
• Exposure limit value of 1.15/ms2 A(8) which should not be exceeded

The regulations also allow a transitional period from the exposure limit value for whole-body vibration until 2010 to allow work activities, where the use of older tools and machinery cannot keep exposures below the exposure limit value, to continue in certain circumstances. There is also a further transitional period to 2014 for agriculture and forestry sectors.