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International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health

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01-01-2019 | Original Article

Risk assessment of vascular disorders by a supplementary hand–arm vascular weighting of hand-transmitted vibration

Authors: Massimo Bovenzi, Iole Pinto, Francesco Picciolo

Published in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health | Issue 1/2019

Abstract

Purpose

To provide an updated epidemiological validation for a supplementary method for assessing the risk of vascular disorders from hand-transmitted vibration.

Methods

The occurrence of vibration-induced white finger (VWF) in the vibration-exposed workers of the Italian cohort of the EU VIBRISKS study was related to measures of daily vibration exposure expressed in terms of r.m.s. acceleration magnitude normalised to an 8-h day, frequency weighted according to either the frequency weighting W_h defined in international standard ISO 5349-1:2001 [A_h(8) in ms^− 2] or the hand–arm vascular frequency weighting W_p proposed in the ISO technical report (TR) 18570:2017 [A_p(8) in ms^− 2]. To estimate a threshold value for vascular hand–arm vibration risk, the W_p-weighted vibration exposure value E_p,d (in ms^− 1.5) was calculated according to the ISO/TR document. The difference in the predictions of VWF between the exposure measures calculated with the frequency weightings W_h or W_p was investigated by means of logistic modelling.

Results

Measures of daily vibration exposure constructed with the frequency weighting W_p [A_p(8) and E_p,d], which gives more importance to intermediate- and high-frequency vibration, were better predictors of the occurrence of VWF in the vibration-exposed workers than the metric derived from the conventional ISO frequency weighting W_h [A_h(8)]. There was some epidemiological evidence for a threshold value of E_p,d for the onset of VWF in the vibration-exposed workers.

Conclusions

Measures of daily vibration exposure evaluated with the vascular weighting W_p performed better for the predictions of VWF than those obtained with the frequency weighting W_h recommended in ISO 5349-1.

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Title: Risk assessment of vascular disorders by a supplementary hand–arm vascular weighting of hand-transmitted vibration
Authors: Massimo Bovenzi
Iole Pinto
Francesco Picciolo
Publication date: 01-01-2019
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health / Issue 1/2019
Print ISSN: 0340-0131
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1246
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-018-1363-y

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Risk assessment of vascular disorders by a supplementary hand–arm vascular weighting of hand-transmitted vibration

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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