Tasker E G
Scand J Work Environ Health. 1986 Aug;12(4 Spec No):407-12. doi: 10.5271/sjweh.2122.
The hand-held roadbreaker plays a vital role in enabling the British gas distribution workforce to install gas supply pipework. Hence, any potential problem which could lead to a restriction of the use of this equipment would present pipework installation departments with serious operational problems. A test program was therefore set up to enable risks to operators to be quantified. The vibration levels measured exceeded proposed limits laid down in current guidelines for vibration exposure. If these limits were realistic, a high prevalence of vibration-induced white finger (VWF) would have been expected. However, a survey of the workforce using the roadbreakers indicated a VWF prevalence of 20 times less than that predicted by the guidelines. It was concluded that a possible explanation could be that the current frequency-weighting factors used in the guidelines are inappropriate for application to this type of equipment with dominant frequencies below 25 Hz. The application of the current weighting factors to the test data produced during the program led to high weighted acceleration values and unrealistic dose-response relationships. It is proposed that the application of the various guidelines to the use of this equipment be reconsidered.
手持式破路机对于英国燃气配送工作人员安装燃气供应管道起着至关重要的作用。因此，任何可能导致该设备使用受限的潜在问题都会给管道安装部门带来严重的操作问题。于是设立了一个测试项目，以便对操作人员面临的风险进行量化。所测量的振动水平超过了当前振动暴露指南中规定的建议限值。如果这些限值是合理的，那么预计振动性白指（VWF）的患病率会很高。然而，对使用破路机的工作人员进行的一项调查显示，VWF的患病率比指南预测的低20倍。得出的结论是，一个可能的解释是，指南中目前使用的频率加权因子不适用于主导频率低于25Hz的这类设备。将当前的加权因子应用于项目期间产生的测试数据，导致加权加速度值较高，且剂量-反应关系不切实际。建议重新考虑将各种指南应用于该设备的使用情况。
