China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Answers
Published in Ken Addley, MCQs, MEQs and OSPEs in Occupational Medicine, 2023
Best fit. The early signs and symptoms of HAVS are tingling and numbness in the fingers (which can cause sleep disturbance); loss of feeling in the fingers; loss of strength in your hands (you may be less able to pick up or hold heavy objects); in cold and wet conditions, the tips of the fingers go white then red and are painful on recovery (vibration white finger). Tingling that lasts 20 minutes or more after vibrating tool use is regarded as significant in HAVS assessment. Tingling that lasts 10 minutes is less likely to be vibration related. Specialised testing of vibration and temperature sensation thresholds is not a routine part of assessment. CTS can cause thumb sensory symptoms a history of smoking is relevant to the vascular component of HAVS and the differential cause of the hand symptoms. Those at risk are those who regularly use hand-held or hand-guided power tools and machines.
Effect of Vibration
Published in Verna Wright, Eric L. Radin, Mechanics of Human Joints, 2020
J. E. Smeathers, P. S. Helliwell
Typical frequency-weighted RMS values for occupation hand-transmitted vibration are usually in the range of 2–50 m/s2 at frequencies greater than 100 Hz (see Table 1). These levels of vibration can cause acute physical damage at localized sites of the hand. Problems are generally associated with the use of pneumatic and power tools, such as the chipping hammers, grinders, and chain saws commonly found in industry and mining and chain saws in agroforestry. High-level long-term exposure leads to diseases affecting the blood vessels, circulation, and joints, particularly in the hand, once called Raynaud’s syndrome but now more specifically referred to as vibration white finger. For a good review of VWF refer to griffin (1).
Arterial disorders
Published in Professor Sir Norman Williams, Professor P. Ronan O’Connell, Professor Andrew W. McCaskie, Bailey & Love's Short Practice of Surgery, 2018
Professor Sir Norman Williams, Professor P. Ronan O’Connell, Professor Andrew W. McCaskie
Although peripheral vasospasm may be noted in atherosclerosis, thoracic outlet syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, etc., the term Raynaud’s syndrome is most often used for a peripheral arterial manifestation of a collagen disease, such as systemic lupus erythematosus or rheumatoid arthritis. The clinical features are as for Raynaud’s disease but they may be much more aggressive. Raynaud’s syndrome may also follow the use of vibrating tools. In this context, it is a recognised industrial disease and is known as ‘vibration white finger’.
Evaluation of the biodynamic response of the hand–arm system and hand-tool designs: a brief review
Published in International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 2023
Jain A. R. Tony B, M.S. Alphin
Nowadays, hand-operated and semi-automated equipment is widely used in the manufacturing industry, construction work, agriculture and medical applications. The interaction between the hand and the physical object in the physical environment is one of the key functions of the hand grasp. In this aspect, powered and non-powered hand tools are effectively used for different works. The exposure to vibration is transmitted from hand-operated tools to the hand by various tools such as grinders, drillers, jackhammers, etc. Hand-operated tools transmit a large magnitude of vibrations to the hand–arm system, which leads to discomfort and pain [1]. Vibration is a serious hazard to the safety of every one of us. The exposure of hand-operated tools to the hand causes hand–arm vibration. Hand–arm vibration is an occupational hazard which leads to occupational diseases such as Raynaud’s syndrome, and other disorders collectively known as hand–arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) [2]. Continuous usage of power tools over a long period causes HAVS, vibration white finger (VWF) and cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) that lead to a combination of neurological, muscular, circulatory, bone and joint disorders [3–5]. HAVS is one of the most common occupational and long-term intractable diseases which affect millions of workers worldwide [6].
Lifetime vibration dose correlates with severity of the neurological component of hand-arm vibration syndrome among tyre shop workers in Kelantan, Malaysia
Published in International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 2021
Asraf Ahmad Qamruddin, Nik Rosmawati Nik Husain, Muhd Yusof Sidek, Muhd Hafiz Hanafi, Zaidi Mohd Ripin, Nizam Ali
The Stockholm workshop scale was developed to classify the severity of both the vascular and neurological components of HAVS [11]. Prior to the development of this scale, assessment of the severity along with monitoring of treatment effectiveness for patients with HAVS was inadequate with subjective symptoms alone. Hence, an objective measurement was needed. The Stockholm workshop scale classifies the vascular component according to the extent of blanching of fingers or occurrence of vibration white finger. However, studies have found that clinical features of HAVS in terms of the occurrence of vibration white finger are less common in warm countries than in temperate countries [12]. Therefore, finger coldness is often used as a surrogate for vascular disorders among workers in a warm climate environment, as the surrounding temperature is not cold enough to induce vibration white finger [13]. Unfortunately, finger coldness is subjective and there is currently no internationally accepted staging for finger coldness. As the likelihood of developing finger blanching in Malaysia, a tropical country, is low, we only used the Stockholm workshop scale for neurological staging. This study was thus conducted to determine the prevalence of the neurological component of HAVS and to determine the correlation between the LVD and neurological stages of HAVS among tyre shop workers.
Effect of vibration on the vestibular system in noisy and noise-free environments in heavy industry
Published in Acta Oto-Laryngologica, 2019
Vibratory and noise generating machines and equipment are widely used in heavy industry. The machines used in heavy industry can produce intense noise which can cause damage to the cochlea and can lead to hearing loss. Noise exposure higher than 90 dB for 8 h/day for long periods can cause hearing loss [1]. Many studies have reported that noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) causes vestibular dysfunction [2,3]. The vibration produced by machines in heavy industry can create vibration in the hands and arms (HAV) or whole body vibration (WBV) . The most commonly reported effects of exposure to excessive HAV are vascular and the obvious signs are known as ‘vibration white finger’ [4]. WBV can also affect the gastrointestinal system, the female reproductive system, the peripheral veins, and the vestibulocochlear system [5]. In one study, WBV was measured simultaneously in three linear axes, consisting of the x-axis (longitudinal), the y-axis (transverse), and the z axis is from foot-to-head (vertical-axis) on the standing individual and buttocks-to-head on the seated individual [4]. Some vibration frequencies correspond to different resonance frequencies in different parts of the body. Especially The z direction is felt differently in the head and neck region [6]. The average vibration magnitude at which humans are exposed is expressed as the measurement value (m/s2) [7]. Low frequency, especially below 2 Hz vibration, may cause irritation to the vestibular system, such as occurs with sea-sickness [8].