Vibration



The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005, based on the second EU Physical Agents Directive, aim to protect workers from risks to their health resulting from exposure to vibration transmitted to the hand-arm and whole body. (A transitional period for the agriculture and forestry sectors expired in 2014.) Daily exposure to vibration is measured by a formula known as an “A (8) value”. This is the average (A) exposure over an eight-hour (8) day and takes into account the magnitude of the vibration and how long workers are exposed to it. Suppliers must provide information on the vibration emission value of their equipment (in metres per second squared (m/s2).



The regulations specify daily exposure levels at which employers will be required to take action to control risks, known as the “exposure action values” (EAVs), and where they must prevent further daily exposure, known as the “exposure limit values” (ELVs) (Regulation 4):



• for whole body vibration the daily exposure limit value is 1.15 m/s2 A(8) and the daily exposure action value is 0.5 m/s2 A(8); and



• for hand-arm vibration the daily exposure limit value is 5 m/s2 A(8) and the daily exposure action value is 2.5 m/s2 A(8). 



The regulations contain schedules explaining how employers should work out their employees’ daily exposure to vibration. The regulations require employers to:



• eliminate or, where elimination is not reasonably practicable, reduce exposure to vibration to as low a level as is reasonably practicable (Regulation 6(1));



• introduce a programme of measures to be taken at the action values to reduce exposure to vibration to as low a level as is reasonably practicable (Regulation 6(2));



• take action at the limit values and stop the work on exceeding the limit values (Regulation 6(4));



• carry out health surveillance (Regulation 7); and



• provide workers with information, instruction and training (Regulation 8).