• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.193-199
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• 2005

The present study was performed to assess peripheral neural involvement by exposure to hand-arm vibration. Segmental sensory nerve conduction in the median and ulnar nerves were measured in shipyard workers exposed to vibration. The subjects were 47 male adults exposed to hand-arm vibration and 7 healthy male controls. The subjects underwent an extensive bilateral neurophysiological examination. Sensory compound nerve action potential (SNAP) of the median and ulnar nerves in palm-finger and wrist-palm segments were measured by antidromic method. And SNAP of the median and ulnar nerves in wrist-proximal finger and wrist-distal finger segments were measured by orthodromic method. Result of sensory nerve conduction study was abnormal in 31 patients $(66\%)$ and normal in 16 patients $(34\%)$ of subjects. The pathological pattern in the hand-arm vibration exposed group was 13 patients $(28\%)$ of carpal tunnel syndrome, 18 patients $(38\%)$ of distal sensory neuropathy, 7 patients $(15\%)$ of multifocal and 1 patient $(2\%)$ of Guyon syndrome. The present study indicates that vibration-induced nerve impairments exist both in the finger-palm and palm-wrist segment of median and ulnar sensory nerves. The results suggest that segmental sensory nerve conduction study would be useful as objective indication of peripheral nerve impairment induced by the hand-arm vibration.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.22 no.52
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• pp.43-52
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• 1999

In this study, the vibration damping characteristics of the powered hand tools transmitted in hand-arm system were examined and compared. The types of powered tools for the experiment are general typed drill, impact drill, grinder, and wire brush. To analyze the characteristics of vibration damping, the magnitude of acceleration of vibration on X, Y, and Z direction at tool, hand, wrist, and the joint between forearm and upper arm were measured respectively. The results indicated that impact drill generated the highest value of acceleration of vibration among the four types of tools used in the experiments. The highest value of the amount of acceleration of vibration was found in the direction of Y. And the amount of acceleration of vibration was significantly affected by the type of tool, type of work, and pushing forces. As become the more distant from the tool, the smaller the amount of acceleration of vibration. Also, the bigger the pushing force at the tool, the higher the acceleration of vibration.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.179-186
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• 1999

This article aims to provide information necessary for the measurement and analysis of human vibration, especially hand-arm vibration. The major health problems associated with the use of powered hand tools are the signs and symptoms of peripheral vascular and peripheral neural disorders of the fingers and hands. To prevent these problems, it is the first and the most important to measure the amount of the vibration transmitted to the upper extremities, and analyze its characteristics against the exposure limits such as ISO standards. In our country, however, very few studies have been done on the hand-arm vibration. One of the possible reasons might be lack of knowledge for the measurement and analysis schemes. The information introduced in this article would hopefully be of help for the upcoming studies.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.147-159
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• 1995

This study was conducted to introduce fundamental data of hand-arm vibration and noise exposure levels with impact wrenches(double-hammer impact wrenches and oil-pulse impact wrenches) used in automobile assembly lines considering the process variables and tool variables. In studing, products per day, required time screwing the bolts or nuts per bolts or nut were considered as process variables, and capacity of bolts or nuts, air consumptions per minute, tool weights, RPM were considered as tool variables. Hand-arm vibration levels of 3 axis in each hand were measured using the instruments compling with ISO/DIS 5349 and noise levels were measured using a noise logging dosimeter. The results were as follows : 1. Required time to screwing the bolt or nut by oil-pulse impact wrenches is shorter than double-hammer impact wrenches but total daily exposure time of oil-pulse impact wrenches was higher than double-hammer impact wrenches because the number of bolts or nuts per cycle was many. 2. Oil-pulse impact wrenches have been used to screwing the large bolt or nut in comparing with double-hammer impact wrenches and required time to screwing the bolts or nuts were shorter than double-hammer impact wrenches because oil-pulse impact wrenches were using high RPM and large air consumption per minute. Noise level of oil-pulse impact wrenches was 8 dB(A) lower than double-hammer impact wrenches. 3. Dominant hand-arm vibration levels of double-hammer impact wrenches in each hand were $8.24m/sec^2$ of Zh axis in right hand and $9.60m/sec^2$ of Xh axis in left hand. Dominant hand-arm vibration level of oil-pulse impact wrenches in each hand was $2.59m/sec^2$ of Xh axis in right hand and $3.23m/sec^2$ of Yh axis in left hand. 4. In double-hammer impact wrenches, corresponding hand-arm vibration levels of Xh, Yh, Zh axis in left hand were higher than hand-arm vibration levels of right hand in 3 axis. In oil-pulse impact wrenches, Xh axis of right, Yh axis of left, Zh axis of left were higher than the corresponding hand-arm vibration levels of Xh, Yh, Zh axis in right and left hand. 5. Correlation coefficients among Xh, Yh. Zh axis of right and left hand hand-arm vibration levels in double-hammer impact wrenches and oil-pulse impact wrenches were commonly high in Yh axis and correlation coefficients of Yh axis in double-hammer impact wrenches and oil-pulse impact wrenches were 0.76 and 0.86,respectively. 6. As a measure repetitiveness, plotting total daily exposure time with the number of bolts or nut per cycle, direct correlation was shown between repetitiveness and hand-arn vibration exposure, and correlation coefficient between the number of bolts or nut per cycle and total daily exposure time in double-hammer impact wrenches, oil-pulse impact wrenches were 0.84 and 0.50, respectively. 7. Considering the total acceleration level and tool variables in double-hammer impact wrenches and oil-pulse impact wrenches, air consumption in right hand, and bolt or nut capacity in left hand were commonly the variable that explainability was high. Considering the noise and tool variables in double-hammer impact wrenches and oil-pulse impact wrenches, air consumption per minute was commonly the variable that explainability was high.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.29-37
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• 2007

This study was performed to evaluate the characteristics of transmitted vibration to hand-arm system under different work posture while operating a light-weighted powered hand grinder. For the experiment, 8 different types of wrist posture (natural, unlar-flexion, radual-flexion, flexion, extension, complex posture, and etc.) and 3 types of feed force (20[N], 50[N], 70[N]) were considered. 10 male subjects were employed to polish metal plate with a hand grinder. All of them were normal and healthy with no history and symptom of the work related musculoskeletal disorders in the dominant hand. Vibration acceleration data were recorded with sampling rate, 2048[Hz]. In addition, unweighted overall R.M.S. acceleration at the tool and wrist, and transmissibility between them were used to evaluate factors from the recorded tri-axial vibration acceleration. The results indicate that transmissibility of natural wrist posture was significantly higher than others. In addition, as the feed force becomes larger, the vibration was transmitted in large quantities to hand-arm system through radius.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.75-86
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• 2000

In this study, the characteristics of transmitted vibration on HAS(hand-arm system) were identified to evaluate physical load due to the work surface orientation, tool weight and push force during powered drilling tasks. The characteristics of transmitted vibration on work surface orientation showed that the acceleration of transmitted vibration on horizontal work surface was higher than that on the vertical work surface. Regarding the characteristics of transmitted vibration on tool weight, the vibration acceleration level becomes lower as the tool weight becomes heavier. The amount of transmitted vibration on hand-arm system was decreased down to the tool weight of 2.4kg. However, as the tool weight becomes heavier than 2.8kg, the amount of transmitted vibration was increased and had peak value at 3.2kg of tool weight. Regarding the characteristics of transmitted vibration on push force, the vibration acceleration level goes higher, as the push force becomes larger. The characteristics of transmitted vibration on the axis of vibration showed that the direction of $Z_h$ had the highest acceleration compared to the direction of $X_h$, and $Y_h$. The direction of $X_h$, $Y_h$ and $Z_h$ had the highest acceleration of transmitted vibration on the hand, wrist and elbow, respectively. The results of this study showed that the condition which affect the lowest physical load to the subject on the powered drilling task would be working with the 2.4kg of tool weight on the vertical work surface.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.77-85
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• 1994

In this paper, the vibration response characteristics of individual's subjective are studied to whole-body and hand-arm induced vibration. For defining limits of vibration exposure to human, experimental data are investigated in a set of vibration criteria specified in ISO Standard 2631. Instrumentation requirements for evaluation of the responses of humans to vibration according to these criteria are discribed.

• Journal of KSNVE
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.299-305
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• 2000

In this study, the characteristics of transmitted vibration on hand-arm system are examined when operating electric hand tools. Also through the correlation analysis between anthroponetric data and transmitted vibration, and comparison study with appropriate amount of work done based on the ISO criteriaa, the basic data for the ergonomic work design can be presented. The types of electric tools and works for the experiment are drill (general type and impact type), grinder, wire brush and steel to analyze the characteristics of transmitted vibrations, the amount of transmitted vibrations in X, Y and Z direction at tool(T), hand(H), wrist(W), and the joint between foream and upper arm(A) were measured at the frequency range of 6.3∼1000[HZ]. Also, the limit of human exposure to vibration, and the response of frequency were conducted.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.1032-1037
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• 2003

This work measured the hand-transmitted vibration due to shipyard worker's grinding and assessed the vibration exposure for predicted 10% prevalence of vibration-induced white finger in a group of exposed persons according to test procedure of ISO 5349-1. And also the transmissibility performance of resilient material, mainly applied to anti-vibration gloves in present market was measured on the basis of ISO 13753 and confirmed that the material would Probably not provide greater attenuation below 30㎐, the dominant frequency range of hand-transmitted vibration due to grinder.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.93-107
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• 2000

The excessive exposure to powered hand tools can cause damage to nerves, impair blood circulation, and musculoskeletal damage. The symptoms associated with hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) include numbness, tingling, pain and subsequent reduced dexterity of the hands. This study was performed to report the prevalence of the HAVS and evaluate its related factors among the workers using powered hand tools. Total 282 workers in 11 plants of Kyungki and Inchon areas were examined. A standard symptom questionnaire was developed and administered to collect information on personal characteristics, work history, operating conditions, tool characteristics, and subjective symptoms of HAVS. Mean values (standard deviations) of the age, the duration of powered hand tools used, and the daily hours using powered hand tools were 38.3(8.9) years, 79.3(62.2) months and 6.0(2.6) hours, respectively. 132 workers(46.8%) showed vibration-induced white finger symptoms according to the Taylor-Pelmear classification, and 30 workers(10.6%) were interfered with the work. The results of a multiple logistic regression analysis controlling for age and daily working hours showed that smoking, work duration, weight of tools, and continuous work over 2 hours were significantly associated with the symptom of HAVS.