Human Response to Vibration: Measurement and Assessment of Risk

Vibration exposure affects the workers’ health. Epidemiological studies have revealed adverse effects, including vascular, neurological, and musculoskeletal disorders resulting from prolonged use of vibrating tools or equipment. Understanding the effects of the mechanical stimuli on the human body is essential for the definition of mitigating actions to reduce the risk deriving from vibration exposure, and measurements are crucial for several reasons. First, the characteristics of vibration (amplitude, direction, time history, and frequency content) affect the type of disease that can be triggered by the exposure, and therefore laboratory studies are important for understanding the dose-response relationship. Secondly, the quantification of the vibration at the workplace is fundamental for reducing the potential health risk and to define the proper mitigating actions. This paper aims to describe the importance of measurements in the field of human vibration.