Vibration is the mechanical oscillation of an object around a central point, called the equilibrium, which is most often caused by an external force. Vibration is typically the result of a mechanical disturbance to an object, which can be the result of normal or abnormal use or engagement of that object. Starting an internal combustion engine will cause it to rattle and vibrate owing to the burning of fuel which turns mechanical components. Similarly, the pulsating and oscillating head of an electric toothbrush produces vibration as a consequence of the movement of bristles, which is expected. An example of non-productive vibration is the rattling experienced from an unaligned wheel of a car, or of a mechanical gear that is not properly balanced. Vibration can also result from the contact of tools with worked material - power drills, scalers, hammers, and saws all generate vibration when they come into contact with surfaces, and the intensity of vibration transmitted to the worker's body depends on the material being worked, the power of the tool, factors relating to the worker's body, and the characteristics of the task.
Vibration can affect the whole body, or body segments. Whole-body vibration is vibration that causes the body of a worker to oscillate around a central point or reference. An example of whole-body vibration is the vibration felt when sitting in the driver's seat of a commercial petrol-powered car, which may increase when on the road. The vibration of the engine under power and the mechanical interaction between the wheels of the car and the surface of the road create a total vibration that affects the driver. In commercial cars designed for civilian use this vibration is minimal as a consequence of road design and minimally transmitted to the driver as a consequence of the design of the car. Where the machine may be bigger, such as in a dozer used for land clearing, and where the ground is not treated, such as in a construction site, the vibration a worker experiences may be more significant. The vibration dose received by the worker depends on the interaction of their tool, plant, or structure with the external environment and the job being done - the vibration dose to which a worker is exposed when driving a forklift may be affected by the characteristics of the ground, the upholstery of the chair, the construction of the plant, and the power being output.
Where vibration affects the arms, it can give rise to symptoms ranging from transient numbness and tingles, to inflammation and pain, to shoulder pain, headaches, and nausea. The arms are used to hold, position, control, and use tools, material, and plant in front of the worker to accomplish tasks that might be routine like using a powered driver to put screws into a wall or more technically precise like using a dental drill to remove plaque. Depending on the forces being manipulated and the involvement of other body segments, the simplest effects of upper-limb vibration exposure may be as minimal as transient numbness. If you've ever pushed a shopping cart over rough bitumen, you may have felt your fingers and hands go numb - that's an example of this. Using tools repeatedly or using high-powered tools like saws that require firm grips can result in the development of hand-arm-vibration syndromes, which can cause inflammatory irritation of the muscles of the forearm, upper arm, and shoulder. Where the vibration is high-energy, high-kickback, or high-amplitude such as when using an impact drill, the transmission of force through the arm and into the thorax can cause breathlessness, palpitations, chest pain, headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Vibration is the mechanical oscillation of an object around a point where the mechanical movement of an object is produced by energy, which is transmitted into the worker if the tool is being held.
Vibration that affects the legs can again cause tingling and numbness in the feet and toes, as well as discomfort in the knees, hips, and back, which can give rise to symptoms comparable to those of mechanically aggravated lower back pain. In occupational contexts, the feet are typically shod in shoes or protective footwear, which controls the dose of vibration received through the lower limbs. However, where a worker is driving plant like a tractor or dozer, where a worker needs to keep a pedal engaged like the dead-man's switch of a locomotive, or where the worker is firmly held in place by locking systems, the continuous contact of the lower limbs with vibrating surfaces results in a dose of vibration whose concentration is increased owing to muscular action of contact, transmitting this dose through the legs and into the thighs. There, the joints of the knee and hip can receive vibration doses that can cause numbness, trembling, and weakness, or the dose can be perceived in the back as back pain.
Each workplace is different, with different demands, methods of business, and is staffed by people whose capacities, needs, and risk profiles are different. Managing ergonomic, environmental, and occupational health and safety challenges requires a business to examine and engage with the ecosystem of factors that give rise to risk, and how that risk may affect people. Each workplace is different and so sometimes the same problem will require different solutions. This applies to workers as well - every person is different and so may require different support, supervision, or resources to perform comfortably and sustainably. Under Work Health and Safety law, consultation with the workforce, the control of risk as far as is reasonably practicable, and the provision of information, training, instruction and support to the worker by the workplace, is essential to meet obligations to provide workers with a workplace that is as free of risk as far is reasonably practicable.
In our capacity as consultants, Atlas Physio will explore and scope the business and its needs, examining how exposures, risks, and processes contribute to the hazard ecosystem, best inform the design and arrangement of procedural, policy-based, and practical risk controls. Our solutions are tailored to the needs of those with whom we work, implemented in a simple, sustainable, and supportive fashion, designed to be robust and resilient, and to support the ongoing life of the business as well as the sustainable wellbeing of the workers who undertake the day to day activities of work.
At Atlas Physio, we provide reporting, structured control, and ongoing management of risk onsite, on the road, and wherever work is done. We are open seven days a week, and are happy to offer a brief complimentary discussion to explore the needs of your business and your workers if you are an employer, and your needs if you are a worker. Reach out today to arrange a discussion and take the first step toward managing risk and working safely, supported by expertise that is practical, reliable, and designed to deliver lasting results.