Exposure to Hand-Arm Vibration in the Australian Workforce
| Autor: | Lin Fritschi, Warwick Williams, Matthew J Pugliese, Elinor Ytterstad, Jane Heyworth, Hans Pettersson, Kate Lewkowski, Kahlia McCausland, Ian Li |
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| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
Male
business.industry Australia Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health Psychological intervention Vibration 030210 environmental & occupational health Telephone survey 03 medical and health sciences Engineering controls Cross-Sectional Studies 0302 clinical medicine Occupational Exposure Environmental health Exposure reduction Workforce Humans Medicine Working population Female 030212 general & internal medicine business Hand arm Exposure assessment |
| Zdroj: | Annals of Work Exposures and Health. 65:659-667 |
| ISSN: | 2398-7316 2398-7308 |
| DOI: | 10.1093/annweh/wxaa121 |
| Popis: | ObjectiveTo estimate the prevalence of hand-arm vibration (HAV) in Australian workplaces.MethodsThe Australian Workplace Exposure Survey (AWES)—Hearing was a cross-sectional telephone survey of Australian workers conducted in 2016–2017. Respondents were asked about the time spent using tools or performing tasks known to be associated with HAV during their most recent working day. We created a library of HAV magnitude levels for each tool/task and estimated each worker’s daily HAV exposure level using standard formulae. We categorized each worker as to whether they exceeded the daily occupational limits of 2.5 and 5.0 m/s2. Results were extrapolated to the Australian working population using a raked weighting method.ResultsIn our sample of 4991 workers, 5.4% of men and 0.7% of women exceeded the HAV action limit of 2.5 m/s2 on their most recent working day. We estimate that 3.8% of the Australian workforce exceeds the HAV limit of 2.5 m/s2 and 0.8% exceeds the 5 m/s2 limit. Men were more likely to exceed the HAV limits than women, as were those with trade qualifications, and those who worked in remote locations. Workers in the construction, farming, and automobile industries had the highest prevalence of HAV exposure. Tool groups that contributed to higher exposure levels included: compactors, rollers, and tampers; power hammers and jackhammers; and underground mining equipment.ConclusionsHAV is common in the Australian working population. Given the health risks associated with this exposure, reduction strategies and interventions should be developed, with engineering controls as the starting point for exposure reduction strategies. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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