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Update: International Hand-Arm Vibration Conference
The International Hand-Arm Vibration Conference is coming!
The Mechanical Vibration Problem
What you don't know about human vibration can hurt you.
The negative effects of mechanical vibration on human hands
was first reported in 1918 by Dr. Alice Hamilton, a famous occupational
physician. Since then, researchers have discovered that vibration-induced
medical symptoms, left untreated, can create painful and potentially
disabling conditions.
Every day, human beings continually interact with machinery. In
factories, on city streets, in agricultural settings, contact with
mechanical vibration is inevitable. Unfortunately, constant exposure
to mechanical vibration often leads to physical problems.
Vibration-induced medical symptoms include tingling and/or numbness
in the fingers followed by an increasing number of attacks of finger
blanching (extreme whitening) on a daily basis; usually, these attacks
are exacerbated by cold temperatures. If this condition is not promptly
treated, it usually becomes progressively worse; it can be irreversible,
and can even lead to very serious problems, such as finger gangrene.
Approximately 1.2 to 2 million workers in the United States alone
are exposed to hand-arm vibration (HAV). Muscles, joints and bones
can also be affected by HAV exposure.
Millions of U.S. workers are also exposed to whole-body vibrations
through the operation of trucks, fork-lifts, buses, heavy equipment,
farm vehicles, helicopters, aircraft, railroad and subway trains,
hovercraft boats, overhead cranes and other vibrating fixed plant
equipment.
Continual whole-body vibration can often lead to critical physical
and medical difficulties such as spinal disorders, including herniated
and degenerated discs. In women, possible miscarriages and other
gynecological and reproductive disorders can result.
ISHV's Specialized Expertise
The University of Tennessee's Institute for the Study of Human
Vibration (ISHV) is composed of a distinguished group of experienced
and published professionals in the field who can provide a complete
turnkey service to clients who are affected by this problem. ISHV's
vibration experts are also biomedical engineers who have performed
numerous and varied on-site industrial vibration studies and are
uniquely qualified to understand not only the vibration problems
but also the interface difficulties between operator and machine.
Once each situation is carefully evaluated, a project team is formed
to execute the requirements of the client in a confidential and
timely manner.
ISHV's nationally recognized staff
of consulting medical professionals are experts in the field of
human vibration conditions. ISHV staff members have served for many
years on committees which generate and promulgate human vibration
health and safety standards, such as the International Standards
Organization, the American National Standards Institute, the American
Conference of Government and Industrial Hygienists and the National
Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.
Services
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Evaluations of products, processes and other functions that
involve whole-body and/or hand-arm vibration
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Solutions to conditions created by vibrating products or
processes
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Confidential vibration medical evaluations
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Individual training for staff on performing basic vibration
measurements and monitoring to prevent potential problems in
the future
Vibration Equipment & Capabilities
The University of Tennessee laboratories have extensive vibration
resear ch
capabilities. Hand-arm vibration measurements have been made on
many tools both in the laboratory as well as remote work site locations.
The ISHV team has measured whole body vibrations on many vehicles
including bikes, cars, various types of trucks and some specialized
mining vehicles. The signal processing of the collecting data has
included several different methods, which has allowed for a better
understanding of the physical situation.
Large scale testing machines have also been used for the evaluation
of new truck seat components and for the determination of parameters
used with dynamic modeling.
Additional Reading
Occupational Vibration: A Brief Overview
by D.E. Wasserman and J.F. Wasserman
For More Information
Institute for the
Study of Human Vibration
Perkins
Hall
The University of Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-2030
Phone: (865) 974-7678
E-Mail: jack-wasserman@utk.edu
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