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Health Hazards > Vibration
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Woodworking tools may cause vibration that could lead to "white fingers" or hand-arm vibration
syndrome (HAVS). This is especially dangerous when proper damping
techniques are not applied, if machines are not maintained, if tools are
not alternated, or if a worker uses a vibrating tool for consecutive hours
during a workday. Workers need to be trained on the hazards of working with vibrating
tools, and should always allow the tool or machine to do
the work.
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Hazards/Solutions |
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Potential Hazards:
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Both hand-held and stationary tools that transmit vibration through a
work piece can cause vibration "white fingers" or hand-arm vibration
syndrome (HAVS). White fingers, or Raynaud's Syndrome, is a disease of the hands in which the blood vessels in
the fingers collapse due to repeated exposure to vibration. The skin and muscle tissue do not get
the oxygen they need and eventually die. HAVS is a more advanced condition, and the entire hand or
arm may be affected by exposure to vibration. Early signs of HAVS are infrequent feelings of numbness
and/or tingling in the fingers, hands, or arms, or numbness and whiteness in the tip of the finger
when exposed to cold. As the disease progresses, a worker experiences more frequent attacks of
numbness, tingling, and pain and finds it difficult to use his or her hands. A worker with advanced
HAVS may be disabled for a long amount of time.
Possible Solutions:
Engineering Controls
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Vibration isolators or damping techniques on equipment offer the most
effective protection. Isolate machine vibrations from the surface if it is
mounted or by use of vibration isolation mounts. Vibrating panels of
machine housings and guards may be controlled by use of damping materials
applied to the panels. Felts, liquid mastics, and elastomeric damping sheets are effective damping
materials. Determining the correct type and quantity of damping material to use for a particular
machine is a complicated process and should be left to a knowledgeable person. The frequency emitted
by the machine, the noise reduction level desired, and the weight and size of the machine are factors
to consider. A good rule of thumb, however, is that the damping layer should be the same
thickness as the surfaces being treated.
Work Practices
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Maintain machines in proper working order. Unbalanced rotating parts
or unsharpened cutting tools can give off excessive vibration.
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Arrange work tasks so that vibrating and
nonvibrating tools can be used alternately.
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Restrict the number of hours a worker uses a vibrating tool during the workday. Allow
employees to take 10 to 15 minute breaks from the source of the vibration every hour.
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Train workers about the hazards of working with vibrating tools.
Instruction should include: the sources of vibration exposure, early signs
and symptoms of hand-arm vibration syndrome, and work practices for minimizing vibration
exposure.
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Instruct workers to keep their hands warm and dry, and to not grip a
vibrating tool too tightly. Workers should allow the tool or machine to do
the work.
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