Investigating the Effect of Different Scenarios of Hand-Arm Vibration on the Vascular Response of the Hand

Background: The increasing use of manual vibrating equipment for various construction works has exposed the workers of this industry to hand-arm vibration. The present study investigates the effect and frequency of hand-arm vibration on the vascular response of the hand in construction workers. Methods: The present study was conducted on 40 workers in the construction industry in the laboratory phase. Using the hand-arm vibration simulator, the participants were exposed to 4 different scenarios of hand-arm vibration 5 m/s2 (125Hz), 5 m/s2 (63Hz), 5 m/s2 (31.5Hz), and 10 m/s2 (31.5Hz). Before and after each scenario, the hand's vascular response was analyzed to detect the degree of vascular obstruction using the Nexus-4 device along with the BVP sensor. Findings: The results of the present study showed that the relative blood flow of the finger decreased in all scenarios of exposure to hand-arm vibration and had statistically significant changes. The mean difference of the relative blood flow of the finger in the exposure to hand-arm vibration 10 m/s2 (31.5Hz) was more than other scenarios. Examining the scenarios with the same vibration acceleration of 5 m/s2 and different frequencies of 125, 63, and 31.5 Hz showed that with increasing frequency, the amount of relative blood flow decreased. Conclusion: The frequency of exposure to hand-arm vibration, like the acceleration encountered, is fundamental very important in causing vascular complications. The higher the frequency of hand-arm vibration, the more vascular disorders in the fingers.