How can vibration emitted by percussion tools be measured?

One out of four handheld or hand-guided vibrating tools is a percussion tool. They expose operators to high levels of vibration with a strong probability of such levels exceeding the regulatory threshold values whenever the daily exposure times exceed half an hour. The regulations require employers to assess (or to measure) vibration risks and to take the action necessary for reducing them. Measuring vibration emitted by percussion tools enables such vibration to be better understood but such measurement remains difficult because of the highly impulsive nature of the signal. Precautions therefore need to be taken to avoid major errors.