Technical terms

Vibration emissions: Machine-generated vibrations act on the user’s organism. The vibration emission value specified by the truck or machine manufacturer in the operating manual provides a standardised value for the level of vibration. This figure can be used to draw preliminary comparisons between different trucks, but not to determine compliance with the requirements of 2002/44/EC. While manufacturers can optimise their trucks for vibration affecting the driver, no maximum exposure can be given, because of the many individual factors involved.

Daily exposure, A(8): This is the actual vibration value for a worker over a period of 8 hours. The accelerations acting on the operator, indicated in m/s², characterise the level of exposure to whole-body vibration over a one-day period (one shift).

Exposure action value: If the daily vibration magnitude A(8) (for whole-body vibration) exceeds 0.5m/s², employee health surveillance is required, along with a programme for the minimisation of whole-body vibration.

Exposure limit value: The exposure limit value is defined as a daily vibration magnitude A(8) for whole-body vibration of 1.15m/s² (figure for Germany) in the longitudinal and lateral axes, or 0.8 m/s² in the height axis. This value is not to be exceeded, and triggers immediate countermeasures. No employee is to be exposed to levels above this value.