Hand-arm vibration international conference

Forty scientists from different disciplines presented the latest knowledge about hand-arm vibration so that there can be a better understanding and prevention of the effects on workers. Near to a hundred participants including scientists, occupational physicians, machine manufacturers, metrologists, prevention officers, members of standardisation groups and government agencies attended the 4-day conference.

A workshop devoted to hand-transmitted mechanical shock (HTS) was held. Generated by many common machines such as staplers, nail-guns, impact wrenches, and road breakers, these shock signals contain vibration at frequencies higher than those currently included in international standards on vibration measurement. There is limited knowledge on whether or how shock and high-frequency vibration contribute to the health risk from vibration exposure.

The workshop, whose aim was to determine whether there was a consensus amongst experts on the metric most suited to the evaluation of HTS, made it possible to study the mechanical shocks transmitted to the hand from different angles: physiological, biological, medical, metrological. Work currently being pursued within International Standards groups on shocks and high-frequency vibrations (ultravibrations) was presented.

During the workshop, experts debated questions such as: 

• Do we accept that the health effects due to exposure to shocks are the same as those from continuous vibration? 
• Is a metric suitable for predicting the risks of health effects from HTS? 
• Do we need a new metric specifically for HTS? 
• What should be the upper frequency limit for measurement? 

A summary of the workshop will be published. The workshop outcomes will feed directly into the work being carried out by the International Standards’ working group on hand-arm vibration. 

The program of this international conference on hand-arm vibration as well as the book of proceedings are available for consultation.

In addition, the Taylor Prize usually awarded during this conference was given to National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) represented by Ren Dong and his team.

Programme, presentations

Full programme1
Book of proceedings2
 1https://en.inrs.fr/dam/jcr:26611395-80fa-47e3-8655-542ca286211f/Programme%20HAV%20A4%2031%2005%2023.pdf2https://www.mdpi.com/2504-3900/86/1

Tuesday 6 June

• Physiological response
  • Physiological effects of single shocks on the hand-arm system – a randomized experiment3 (E Ochsmann – A Corominas, U Kaulbars, H Lindell and B Ernst)
  • Acute vibrotactile threshold shifts in relation to force and hand-arm vibration4 (S Gao – Y Ying)
  • Cold response of digital vessels and metrics of daily vibration exposure5 (M Bovenzi – M Tarabini)
  • Effects of applied pressure on sensorineural and peripheral vascular function in an animal model of hand-arm vibration syndrome6 (K Krajnak – C Warren, X Xu, S Waugh, P Chapman, D Welcome and R Dong)

• Mechanobiological response 
  • Development of a novel rat-tail model for studying finger vibration health effects 7(R Dong – C Warren, J Wu, X Xu, D Welcome, S Waugh and K Krajnak)
  • Biomarkers in patients with hand-arm vibration injury entailing Raynaud’s phenomenon and cold sensitivity, compared to referents8 (E Tekavec – T Nilsson, L Dahlin, A Axmon, C Nordander, J Riddar and M Kåredal)
  • Arterial stenosis stemming from vibration-altered wall shear stress: a way to prevent vibration-induced vascular risk?9 (C Noël – M Reda, N Settembre and E Jacquet)

• Epidemiology 
  • Investigation of hand-arm vibration (HAV) of railroad track workers – Addressing Stakeholder Conflict of Interest10 (E Johanning – P Landsbergis)
  • Raynaud’s phenomenon and hand-arm vibration exposure in the general population of northern Sweden11 (A Stjernbrandt – H Pettersson, R Lundström, I Liljelind, T Nilsson and J Wahlström)
  • Onset of vibration-induced white finger: Insight derived from a meta-analysis of exposed workers12 (M Scholz – A Brammer and S Marburg)
  • Dose-response relationship between hand-arm vibration exposure and musculoskeletal disorders of upper extremities: A case-control study among German workers 13(Y Sun – F Bochmann, W Eckert, B Ernst, U Kaulbars, Nigmann, N Raffler, C Samel and C Van Den Berg)

• Epidemiology 
  • Hand-arm vibration syndrome in dentistry: a questionnaire survey among dentists and review of literature14 (A Turcot – D Hamel and M Tessier)
  • Hand-arm vibration exposure trends among the work force in Sweden15 (H Pettersson – M Sjöström, M Wikström and J Selander)
  • A Delphi study to address a number of issues relating to the practical management of hand-arm vibration syndrome and carpal tunnel syndrome in the workplace16 (R Cooke – D Ashdown, H Fox, C Grobler, R Hall-Smith, D Haseldine, E Kotze and I Lawson)

Wednesday 7 June

• Vibration reduction
  • Evaluation and damping of high frequency vibrations on a tightening tool17 (O Lundin – R Haettel)
  • Vibration reduction on pneumatic rock drill for the rock face stabilisation sector18 (H Lindell – T Clemm and SL Grétarsson)
  • Evaluation and damping of high-frequency vibrations on a percussive tool19 (R Haettel – Oscar Lundin)
  • Comparison of anti-vibration glove performances in the laboratory and in the field. Similarities and differences20 (A Tirabasso – R Giovanni, P Nataletti and E Marchetti)

• Modelling
  • Fingertip model for analysis of high frequency vibrations21 (P Ottosson – H Lindell and SL Grétarsson)
  • Factoring muscle activation and anisotropy in modelling hand-transmitted vibrations: a preliminary study22 (S Vauthier – C Noël, H Ngo, J Gennisson, J Chambert, E Foltête and E Jacquet )
  • Vibration emission of grinders: experiments and model23 (Q Pierron)

• Biomechanical response 
  • Interference of vibration exposures on the force production in the hand-arm system24 (M Cavacece – A Tirabasso, R Di Giovanni, S Monti, E Marchetti and L Fattorini)
  • Using an impact wrench in different postures – an analysis of awkward hand-arm posture and vibration25 (N Raffler – T Wilzopolski and C Freitag)
  • Methods for the laboratory evaluation of HAV-related comfort of bikes26 (S Marelli – M Tarabini)
  • Comparison between the biomechanical response of the hand and foot when exposed to vertical vibration27 (F Marrone – C Massotti, K Goggins, T Eger, E Marchetti, M Bovenzi and M Tarabini)
  • Nonlinearity of power absorption curve and hand-arm system physiology 28(E Marchetti – L Fattorini, M Tarabini, R Di Giovanni, M Cavacece and A Tirabasso)
  • Using an impact wrench in different working directions – an analysis of the individual forces29 (T Wilzopolski – N Raffler and C Freitag)

Thursday 8 June

• Health effects 
  • Dupuytren’s disease in relation to exposure to hand-transmitted vibration. A systematic review and meta-analysis 30(T Nilsson – J Wahlström, E Reierth and L Burström)
  • Radiographic hand osteoarthritis in relation to exposure to hand-transmitted vibration. A systematic review and meta-analysis31 (T Nilsson – J Wahlström, E Reierth and L Burström)
  • The hand-arm vibration syndrome in workers exposed to transient and high frequency vibrations32 (L Gerhardsson – C Ahlstrand, P Ersson and E Gustafsson)
  • Neurological impairment from hand–arm vibration exposure33 (O Lundberg – IL Bryngelsson and P Vihlborg)
  • Hand-arm vibration association with myocardial infarction 34(H Pettersson – C Lissåker and J Selander)

• Measurement
  • High-frequency vibration from hand-held impact wrenches and propagation into finger tissue 35(SL Grétarsson – H Lindell)
  • Determination of the number of measurements required for 95% confidence in an upper quartile value of hand-arm vibration measurement using the Monte-Carlo method36 (P Pitts)
  • Evaluation of vibration emission values of nailers: can an automatic test stand be used instead of human operators?37 (M Vincent – T Padois, Ma Gaudreau, T Dupont and P Marcotte)
  • Exposure evaluation and control Definition and Quantification of Shock/ Peak/Transient Vibration38 (H Lindell – P Johannisson and SL Grétarsson)
  • Daily exposure estimation from field measurements of repetitive shock vibration39 (F Maitre – M Amari)
  • Vibration characteristics of ultrasonic activated straightening and forming machines40 (D Aoustin)

• Exposure evaluation and control
  • Necessity and considerations for on-body vibration measurement equipment41 (S Maeda – Y Ye and S Gao)
  • French occupational disease system. Example of diseases caused by hand-arm vibration42 (A Delepine)
  • Daily exposure to hand-arm vibration of technicians in wastewater treatment plants and after-sales service43 (R Petitfour – G Ducrot and I Jannin Devilleneuve)
  • Zero vibration injuries - a Swedish holistic approach to reduce vibration injury44 (C Pettersson – H Lindell and SL Grétarsson)