scope:

The effect of mechanical vibration on the human body is an important risk factor affecting the safety and health of employees. This VDI Guideline presents a survey of measures for preventing or reducing vibration exposure in the workplace. Application of these measures will, amongst other things, assist in securing compliance with the requirements laid down in the following EC directives relating to vibration protection:

• Directive 2002/44/EC of the European Parliament and Council on the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to the risks arising from physical agents (vibration)

Note: This EC Directive contains among other things the minimisation requirements for vibration exposure at workplaces, limit values for vibration immission, and a listing of the vibration protection measures to be taken by companies in the event of limit values being exceeded.

• Directive 2006/42/EC of the European Parliament and Council on machinery, and mending Directive 95/16/EC (recast) (EC Machinery Directive, implemented in Germany by the ninth executive order of the Product Safety Act - Machinery Directive).

Note: As basic safety requirements relating to the supply of machinery, this EC Directive contains among other things the minimisation requirements for vibration emission from machinery and also the requirement that the operating manual should include not only erection and installation instructions for reducing mechanical vibration but also measured values for vibration emissions.

Guideline VDI 3831 is directly linked to the basic principles formulated in VDI 2057 Part 1 relating to the measurement and evaluation of whole-body and hand-arm vibration affecting a person. The guideline adopts in suitable form the content of all of the vibration protection measures given in DIN V 45 695 and adds a number of examples.

Guideline VDI 3831 is intended for the use not only by the machine manufacturers but also by users of machinery. The primary and secondary protective measures which on the basis of current knowledge are applicable in case of whole-body and hand-arm vibration are listed separately for each of the two target groups. Although the special measures can usually only be applied by the particular group concerned, manufacturers and users should still know and be aware of the totality of possibilities.

This guideline not only deals with protection against vibration exposure when using vibrating portable machinery or working on mobile machines but also with the principle of vibration insulation in the installation of stationary machinery.

Figure 1 provides an overview of technical measures for vibration protection.

The present guideline will be primarily concerned with providing an explanation of the principles behind the vibration protection measures. With regard to the collection of actual examples of vibration protection in action at work, reference is made to the Annex as well as to the corresponding databases and the bibliography.