Hand-Arm & Whole-Body Vibration Testing

Uniquely Yours
Custom Fashion wear Manufacturer

In our customization process, we value the communication of details with our clients to ensure a thorough understanding of your needs and expectations.

Uniquely Yours
Custom Fashion wear Manufacturer

In our customization process, we value the communication of details with our clients to ensure a thorough understanding of your needs and expectations.

Hand-Arm & Whole-Body Vibration Testing

A worker's exposure to vibration comes in through their hands, or through the seat beneath them — and the health risk, the standard, and the instrument are different for each. Measure the pathway that actually applies.

8 H

The standard shift length most exposure limits are normalized to, regardless of how the actual task was distributed through the day
2

Distinct exposure pathways — hand-transmitted and whole-body — each assessed against its own standard and health outcome
Frequency weighted

Both pathways apply a frequency weighting curve, since the body isn't equally sensitive to vibration at every frequency

Two Pathways, Two Very Different Risks

Vibration reaches a worker's body in one of two distinct ways. Hand-transmitted vibration comes from gripping a vibrating tool — a grinder, a jackhammer, an impact wrench — and is linked to hand-arm vibration syndrome and related circulatory and nerve conditions in the hands and fingers. Whole-body vibration comes from sitting or standing on a vibrating surface — the seat of a forklift, truck or piece of heavy equipment — and is linked instead to lower back and spinal issues.

Because the exposure pathway, the affected body part and the health outcome are all different, occupational vibration programs measure and report on the two separately, using instrumentation built for each — rather than a single generic "vibration level" that doesn't distinguish which risk it's describing.

Most vibration exposure limits are expressed as a daily, shift-normalized value, not the level measured during a single task — a short burst on a very rough tool can carry the same daily exposure as a longer period on a milder one.

Aihua's hand-transmitted vibration meter and environmental vibration analyzer cover both pathways, with calibrators to keep every reading traceable.

Hand-arm vs. whole-body vibration
Same core principle — frequency-weighted acceleration normalized to daily exposure — but different tools, sensor placement and health outcomes.

Hand-Arm Vibration (HAV)

Transmitted through hand grips and tool handles

Sensor mounted at the hand-tool interface

Reported as a_hw, a_hv,eq and daily A(8)

Linked to HAVS, vibration white finger, reduced grip

Typical sources: grinders, drills, chainsaws, chipping hammers

Whole-Body Vibration (WBV)

Transmitted through seat, backrest or standing surface

Sensor mounted on seat pad or floor contact point

Reported as awx, awy, awz, VDV and daily A(8)

Linked to lower back pain and spinal loading risk

Typical sources: forklifts, tractors, trucks, factory platforms

Three Roles in an Occupational Vibration Program

Running an Occupational Vibration Assessmentntam

Step 1 Calibrate

Field-check the instrument against a vibration calibrator before the session, so every reading is traceable.
Step 2 Mount at the Pathway

Attach the sensor at the tool grip for hand-arm exposure, or at the seat or floor for whole-body exposure — the two aren't interchangeable.
Step 3 Measure Representative Use

Record while the tool or vehicle is used the way it normally would be, not under artificial or best-case conditions.
Step 4 Normalize & Report

Combine the measured level with the worker's actual daily task duration into a shift-normalized exposure value, and compare it to the applicable limit.

Instruments for Both Exposure Pathways

One instrument for each pathway, plus the calibrators that keep both traceable.

AWA5937 Hand-Transmitted Vibration Meter

Complies with ISO 5349-1:2001, measuring VL, VLmax/min, VLeq,T, aw, aw,T, amax, amin, apeak,T and more with precise frequency and time weighting, plus frequency spectrum analysis, in a lightweight, dust- and waterproof body for real tool-use conditions.

Read more

AWA6257A Environmental Vibration Analyzer01

Common Questions About Occupational Vibration Exposure
1. What's the actual difference between hand-arm and whole-body vibration?

Hand-arm vibration enters through the hands from a gripped tool and is linked to circulatory and nerve conditions in the fingers and hands. Whole-body vibration enters through the seat or feet from a vehicle or platform and is linked instead to lower back and spinal issues. They're measured at different points on the body, weighted differently, and reported against separate standards.
2. Can one worker need both types of assessment?

Yes — a maintenance worker who spends part of a shift on a grinder and the rest driving a forklift is exposed through both pathways. Each is measured and reported separately, then the daily task durations are used to build a full picture of that worker's exposure.
3. Why does duration matter as much as the vibration level?

Most exposure limits are expressed as a daily, shift-normalized value, combining the measured level with how long the worker actually spends on that task. A short burst on a very rough tool can add up to the same daily exposure as a longer period on a milder one — level alone doesn't tell the whole story.
4. Do AWA5937 and AWA6257A tell me whether I'm over the legal limit?

They give you the measured, standard-compliant values (VLeq,T and related indicators) needed to make that comparison — but the actual numeric action and limit values come from the occupational health regulation that applies in your country, not from the instrument itself. Confirm the applicable figures before comparing a reading against them.

Not sure which instrument fits your site?
We look forward to hearing from you.

phone-5 Tel: +86-19012832378

Contact Aihua Instruments


Uniquely Yours
Custom Fashion wear Manufacturer

Uniquely Yours
Custom Fashion wear Manufacturer

Hand-Arm & Whole-Body Vibration Testing

Hand-Arm & Whole-Body Vibration Testing

8 H

2

Frequency weighted

Two Pathways, Two Very Different Risks