HSE L141 Whole-body vibration

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HSE L141 Whole-body vibration Price:£10.95 ISBN: 0717661261 Published by:HSE Books Pagination: 57 pages Publication Date: 2005 Format: Hard Copy Series Code: L 141 Description: This guidance contains in-depth guidance on the Vibration Regulations as they relate to whole-body vibration. It does not contain guidance on those parts of the Regulations which apply only to hand-arm vibration. Guidance on those parts of the Regulations is provided in a separate book Hand-arm vibration. The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005. Guidance on Regulations L140) Key Features: Colour-coded parts to help readers go directly to the information that is most relevant to them. (Other useful information is in a series of appendices.) Includes the text of the Vibration Regulations and explains what they mean and what they require you to do. Sets out your legal obligations as an employer to control risks to health and safety from exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV) Specifically covers risks of back pain in drivers and operators of work machines and vehicles. Contains a practical guide for employers on carrying out a risk assessment, estimating vibration exposure, controlling risks, arranging health monitoring etc Exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV), particularly to large shocks and jolts, is a back-pain health risk for employees who drive mobile machines or other work vehicles over poor surfaces as a main part of their job. The main ways to control risk from WBV described in this book are generally easy to carry out, and often inv olve normal good management practices. They include: Choosing suitable machines and vehicles for particular tasks Training drivers to operate them in ways which avoid unnecessary bumping and jolting Keeping site roadways and vehicle work areas as level as possible by filling in potholes and removing rubble The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 20051 (the Vibration Regulations) require employers to control the health risks to their employees from exposure to WBY. The main industries where there may be a health risk from WBV include agriculture, construction, forestry, mines and quarries. Risks may also exist where industrial trucks are used to transport materials, eg in factories, depots, warehouses and docks, particularly where the surfaces the trucks travel on are in poor condition or the drivers use poor driving techniques. Vehicles such as vans, lorries and buses, which are normally driven on well-maintained public roads, may also expose their drivers to some WBV, but the levels are likely to be relatively low and therefore the likelihood of related health risks is low. Some drivers of road-going vehicles may report back pain, but this is more likely to be caused by other factors such as poor posture, prolonged periods confined to the driver's seat or doing related work such as regular manual lifting and carrying of vehicle loads. However, there may be some work activities where road-going vehicles may expose their drivers to higher levels of WBY. For example, where drivers regularly have to take their vehicles off-road or along unadopted roads or tracks such as farm tracks or construction site roadways. Where this is the case, employers may need to consider the guidance in this book. Further Details: legal. (L141) (L 141) Keywords: Guidance; WBV; Driving; Back pain; Vehicles; Vibration; Machinery

Related reading for L141 Related Publications: L23 Manual handling. Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (as amended]. Guidance on Regulations (Third edition) HSE Books 2004 ISBN 071762823X BS EN lSO 12096: 1997 Mechanical vibration. Declaration and verification of vibration emission values British Standards Institution BS EN 1032: 2003 Mechanical vibration. Testing of mobile machinery in order to determine the vibration emission value British Standards Institution BS EN 13490: 2002 Mechanical vibration. Industrial trucks. Laboratory evaluation and specification o( operator seat vibration British Standards Institution ISO 2631-1: 1997 Mechanical vibration and shock. Evaluation o( human exposure to whole-body vibration. Part 1: General requirements International Organization for Standardization

Further details This book is mainly concerned with the health risks from WBV, it also suggests that you try to prevent back pain in your employees by taking a holistic approach which includes managing the other risks of back pain. For example, there may risks of back pain where a mobile-machine driver may be forced to adopt a strained posture in the vehicle cab for long periods, or where their duties include frequently loading or unloading a vehicle manually. Tackling all these risk factors together is more likely to succeed in eliminating back problems in your workforce. More information can be found at www.hse.gov.uk/vibration General health and safety regulations, supported by HSE guidance, have required employers to control the risks from vibration and protect their employees since the early 1990s. However, the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 now place specific duties on employers. The Vibration Regulations are based on a European Union Directive requiring similar basic laws throughout the Union on reducing the risks of vibration-related diseases. If employers comply with the Vibration Regulations and follow HSE's guidance, it will be possible to stop employees developing advanced stages of these diseases. The requirements are straightforward and will easy for employers to carry out. The legal duties described in this book are in addition to the general obligations to safeguard workers' health (including the effects of vibration) which employers have had since 1975 under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (the HSW Act). These general obligations also apply to safeguarding the health of people who are not employees, such as students, voluntary workers, visitors and members of the public. Employees also have duties under the HSW Act to take care of their own health and safety and that of others whom their work may affect; and to co-operate with employers so that they may comply with health and safety law.

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