Many professionals understand the physical effects of prolonged vibration exposure — the numbness and aches. An often overlooked aspect is the silent impacts on mental well-being. Explore prolonged vibration exposure’s less visible yet equally important mental health consequences.
Where Can You Get Exposed to Vibration?
Vibration is prevalent in today’s modern age. While some vibration exposure is unavoidable, knowing the common sources can help minimize health risks.
Occupational Settings
Many professionals are exposed to vibration through regular and repeated contact. These settings require stricter safety precautions and protective equipment to boost employee safety. Here are some sectors that are more susceptible to vibration sources.
Construction Sites
Jackhammers, bulldozers and other heavy machinery create vibrations on construction sites. Small power tools like drills can also cause hand-arm vibration, which is a result of forces from the device itself and the interaction between the tool and the material worked on, such as when a drill goes into concrete. This vibration travels through the machine and into the professional’s hands.
Factors like how the tool is used, whether it is sharp or blunt, and its maintenance condition can increase the operator’s vibration exposure.
Agriculture
The agriculture industry involves equipment like tractors and harvesters that emit vibration. Operating these may lead to hand-arm and whole-body vibration.
Manufacturing
Industrial machinery, assembly lines and power tools are common vibration sources in the manufacturing sector. Workers operating these tools may experience different exposure levels, depending on the task, equipment and their proximity to it.
Military
Military personnel who work with machinery regularly may be exposed to hand-arm vibration from using power hand tools and whole-body vibration from operating heavy machinery like helicopters, ships, trucks and weapon systems.
Nonoccupational Settings
People outside the aforementioned occupational settings also encounter vibration daily, often without knowing it. While seemingly insignificant, these daily exposures can all add up and contribute to overall vibration load.
Personal Devices
Vibrating phones, the buzzing of gaming controllers, and prolonged use of personal care devices like modern razors and toothbrushes contribute to vibration load.
Transportation
The constant rumble and humming of buses, motorcycles and cars expose you to vibration in varying degrees. Your level of exposure will vary based on how often you ride these vehicles.
Leisure Activities
Sometimes, your hobbies can expose you to vibration. Pay attention to the following sources.
Power Tools for DIYers
Power tools in DIY projects, such as saws, drills, sanders and jigsaws, can generate significant vibration. While tasks like these may be infrequent, it’s still essential to use proper techniques to minimize exposure.
Sports
Certain sports, such as motor racing, cycling and horseback riding, expose you to vibration. The level of exposure will depend on your activity’s intensity and duration.
Massage Guns
A massage gun is a popular tool that delivers focused vibration to specific body areas, providing muscle tension relief and faster muscle recovery. While generally safe, improper or prolonged use can heighten your vibration exposure and potentially lead to other health issues.
How Much Vibration Exposure Has to Accumulate Before People Are Affected?
Individual sensitivity to vibration differs from person to person. Vibration-induced issues take a few months or years to develop based on the following factors:
- Vibration intensity
- The individual’s sensitivity to vibration
- Duration and frequency of exposure
These conditions start as a mild pain that intensifies over time. The severity depends on the following factors:
- Threshold value: The highest vibration level most individuals can tolerate daily without experiencing negative health effects.
- Dose-response relationship: This aspect refers to the relationship between the amount or frequency of exposure and symptom severity.
- Latent period: This refers to the time between exposure and the initial appearance of symptoms.
The Exposure action value (EAV), or the daily amount of vibration exposure that requires employers to reduce it, is a good gauge to prevent its negative health effects. In the UK, the EAV for hand-arm vibration is 2.5 m/s² A(8). That’s meters per second square over an average of eight hours. When a worker’s vibration exposure exceeds this number, employers must take action to limit risks.
Exposure limit value (ELV) is another crucial factor that pertains to the level of vibration exposure that must not be exceeded. The ELV for hand-arm vibration is a daily exposure of 5 m/s2 A(8). Exceeding this level poses a significant risk to workers’ health.
Mental Health Effects
The relentless buzzing, constant jarring and persistent shaking can affect your health. Aside from the effects on physical health, prolonged vibration exposure can result in the following.
Decreased Mental Performance
Navigating off-road terrain and operating heavy equipment require focus, precise motor control and quick thinking. However, a 2024 study published in Applied Ergonomics found that vibration exposure can significantly impair these cognitive abilities.
Even short periods of exposure can lead to a decline in psychomotor vigilance, an essential aspect of attention and timely reaction time. The adverse effects on cognitive performance, postural stability, motor control and visual perception can heighten the risk of occupational accidents and musculoskeletal injuries.
Here are the signs of decreased mental performance:
- Anxiety or irritability
- Heightened sensitivity
- More tired and frazzled than usual
- Difficulty concentrating
Mental Fatigue
A study in South Korea shows that vibration-exposed workers are more likely to experience work-related fatigue than nonexposed employees. When combined with the physical demands of construction, agriculture, manufacturing and military jobs, mental fatigue can become a serious occupational hazard.
Some signs include:
- Persistent weariness.
- Weakness.
- Mental and physical exhaustion.
Heightened Stress and Anxiety
Construction, agriculture, manufacturing and military jobs are physically and mentally demanding, requiring constant movement, problem-solving and prolonged exposure to vibration. Such demands can increase the risk of work-related anxiety, affecting productivity and overall quality of life. Moreover, these industries carry occupational hazards, affecting employee stress levels.
Here are the signs of heightened stress and anxiety:
- Constant worrying
- Crying
- Tiredness or irritability
- Avoidance of friends or family
- Perfectionism
- Sleeping problems
- Concentration problems
- Declining interest in work
- Overeating or undereating
- Poor job productivity
- Physical complaints, like upset stomach, sweating and not sleeping well
Other Health Effects
Prolonged vibration exposure can affect your body in more ways than one. Discover some of its physical health implications.
Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome
Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) is a musculoskeletal disorder of the hands and arms induced by occupational exposure to vibrating gear. The main symptom of HAVS is vibration-induced white finger (VWF), a form of Raynaud’s phenomenon, which is characterized by two main symptoms:
- Whitening or blanching in the fingers in one or both hands
- Pain or coldness in the fingers
Other symptoms include:
- Loss of light touch.
- Reduced grip strength.
- Tingling feeling or loss of sensation.
- Development of bone cysts in wrists or fingers.
Professionals use the patient’s history and the Stockholm Workshop scale (SWS) to classify them into one of the four stages:
- Stage 1: A mild condition where the patient experiences frequent pain on the tips of one or more fingers.
- Stage 2: The patient experiences symptoms extending beyond the tips of one or more fingers.
- Stage 3: This is a severe condition where symptoms affect all fingers.
- Stage 4: The patient experiences all Stage 3 symptoms and develops a skin abnormality or tissue damage in the fingertips.
Spine Problems
Exposure to whole-body vibration is associated with damage to the spine, which can manifest as spinal deformation, muscular back pain or sciatica. Other conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome and tendinitis are associated with HAVS exposure.
How to Reduce Vibration Exposure
There are strategies you can implement to mitigate risks associated with vibration.
Take Frequent Breaks
Relax and exercise your fingers during breaks to reduce muscle tension, improve circulation and alleviate discomfort. One simple yet effective exercise is the finger tendon glide stretch. Do it in simple steps:
- Extend your fingers upward.
- Bend the ends of your fingers as if you’re making a hook. Squeeze your hand and release.
- Make a full fist, squeeze and release, returning to a straight hand position.
- Do a straight fist and release, returning to the initial hand position.
Use Proper Technique
Use equipment correctly to reduce vibration-induced pain. Consult manufacturer instructions, attend training sessions or have a company-wide refresher course to ensure everyone uses tools safely and efficiently.
Implement Preventive Maintenance Measures
Regular preventive maintenance ensures all vibrating equipment is operating correctly. Well-maintained tools produce less vibration and are less likely to cause occupational hazards.
Utilize Low-Vibration Tools
When purchasing or upgrading new equipment, prioritize those that emit lower vibration levels. Consider gear with ergonomic design and vibration isolators.
Improve Workplace Design
Make necessary workplace updates to minimize the load on employees’ hands, arms and wrists. Devices like suspension systems or jigs can help reduce the need to grip heavy equipment tightly. For instance, you can suspend a heavy grinder from a counterbalance system to reduce the load on the operator’s arms.
Wear Proper Clothing
Use protective clothing to keep you comfortable during working hours. Wearing proper uniform will encourage proper blood circulation, which helps prevent the development of VWF. Gloves can also help protect your hands on-site.
Implement Alternative Processes
Consider implementing alternative processes to reduce exposure to vibration. For example, replace cut-off saws with block splitters or an excavator’s hand-held breaker with a breaker attachment.
Lower the Risks of Mental Health Consequences
Prolonged vibration exposure affects your physical and mental wellness, which may affect your productivity in and out of work. Now’s the time to take proactive steps to mitigate health risks, from implementing preventive maintenance measures to taking breaks at work.
Author Bio
Jack Shaw is a senior writer and editor at Modded, where he passionately explores the intricate connections between physical health, mental well-being, and the dynamics of interpersonal relationships. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for crafting engaging content, Jack’s articles offer valuable insights into living a balanced and fulfilling life.
