• Health & Safety
• Vibration
• Dust
• Noise

 

EPTA Vibration Activities

EPTA pushed over years triaxial vibration test codes for the electric power tool safety standard EN 60745. Triaxial vibration values are necessary to fulfil the Physical Agents (Vibration) Directive 2002/44/EC.

Operating hand-held electric power tools exposes users to vibrations and thereby carries certain risk of permanent damage to their health. Using power tools excessively or in a wrong way may cause defects to blood vessels and nerves in the fingers, bones and muscles. Longer times of exposure to vibrations can lead to Hand-Arm-Vibration-Syndrome (HAVS), also known as Vibration-Induced White Finger (VWF).

To increase the occupational health and safety requirements in this subject, the EU released Directive 2002/44/EC which took effect in July 2005 and which was required to be transposed into national law in all member states. Regulation calls for employers to train their staff, ascertain and control the stress load and to encourage their employees to report any signs of health problems. If the employer does not comply with these regulations, he may be held reliable for the consequences.

The core of the directive is the maximum exposure allowed for hand-held power tools. This concerns the daily vibration dose, which is calculated from the trigger time and vibration value. The action value is 2.5 m/s², and is preventive in nature. The exposure limit value is 5 m/s² and all values exceeding this limit are in danger zone and are therefore impermissible. If the calculated maximum daily dose has reached the operator has to be protected by organisational measures through the employer.

The vibration value represents the measured acceleration at both handles. EPTA has pushed for introducing triaxial test codes which are needed for calculated the daily vibration dose as risk assessment for not harming the user.