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Original article
Scand J Work Environ Health 2011;37(3):244-252
doi:10.5271/sjweh.3129
Frequency weightings of hand-transmitted vibration for
predicting vibration-induced white finger
by Bovenzi M, Pinto I, Picciolo F, Mauro M, Ronchese F
Affiliation: Clinical Unit of Occupational Medicine, Department of
Reproductive, Developmental and Public Health Sciences, University
of Trieste, Centro Tumori, Via della Piet 19, 34129 Trieste, Italy.
bovenzi@units.it
Refers to the following texts of the Journal: 1989;15(5):0 1986;12(4):0
1986;12(4):0
The following article refers to this text: 2015;41(3):219-324
Key terms: exposureresponse relationship; frequency weighting;
hand-transmitted vibration; longitudinal study; vascular disorder;
vibration magnitude; VWF; white finger
Print ISSN: 0355-3140 Electronic ISSN: 1795-990X Copyright (c) Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health
Original article
Scand J Work Environ Health. 2011;37(3):244252. doi:10.5271/sjweh.3129
Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the performance of four frequency weightings for handtransmitted vibration to predict the incidence of vibration-induced white finger (VWF).
Methods In a longitudinal study of vibration-exposed forestry and stone workers (N=206), the incidence of
VWF was related to measures of vibration exposure expressed in terms of 8-hour frequency-weighted energyequivalent root-mean-square (rms) acceleration magnitude [A(8)] and years of follow-up. To calculate A(8), the
rms acceleration magnitudes of vibration were weighted by means of four frequency weightings: (i) Wh (the
frequency weighting specified in ISO 5349-1:2001); (ii) Wh-bl (the band-limiting component of Wh); (iii) Whf (a
frequency weighting based on finger vibration power absorption); and (iv) WhT (a frequency weighting based on
a Japanese study of VWF prevalence). The relations of VWF to alternative measures of vibration exposure were
assessed by the generalized estimating equations (GEE) method to account for the within-subject dependency
of the observations over time.
Results Data analysis with a GEE logistic model and a measure of statistical fit suggested that calculating A(8)
by weighting the tool rms accelerations with Wh-bl gave better predictions of the cumulative incidence of VWF
than the other alternative measures of daily vibration exposure. Values of A(8) derived from the currently recommended ISO frequency weighting Wh produced poorer predictions of the incidence of VWF than those obtained
with frequency weightings Whf or WhT.
Conclusions This prospective cohort study suggests that measures of daily vibration exposure which give relatively
more weight to intermediate and high frequency vibration are more appropriate for assessing the probability of VWF.
Key terms exposureresponse relationship; longitudinal study; vascular disorders; vibration magnitude; VWF.
1 Clinical Unit of Occupational Medicine, Department of Reproductive, Developmental and Public Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Italy.
2 Physical Agents Laboratory, Department of Prevention, Local Health Unit 7, National Health Service, Siena, Italy.
Correspondence to: Professor Massimo Bovenzi, Clinical Unit of Occupational Medicine, Department of Reproductive, Developmental and
Public Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Centro Tumori, Via della Piet 19, 34129 Trieste, Italy. [E-mail: bovenzi@units.it]
244
Bovenzi et al
Methods
Subjects and medical investigations
The cohort included 206 vibration-exposed workers
(185 forestry operators and 21 stone workers) who were
unaffected with VWF symptoms at the initial survey
conducted between October 2003 and February 2004. Of
these workers, 146 (70.9%) participated in three followup surveys, and 60 (29.1%) participated in either one or
two follow-up investigations over the calendar period
autumn 2004 to winter 2007. All subjects continued to
work with vibratory tools during the follow-up period.
All subjects gave signed informed consent to participate in the study, which was approved by the local
health authorities. A complete description of the cohort
and the study design have been reported earlier (11, 12).
The diagnosis of VWF was based on the findings of
a medical interview assisted by color charts. The criteria
for the anamnestic diagnosis of VWF, according to the
Stockholm Workshop 1994 scale and the procedure for
the administration of color charts has been described
245
(ms -2 rms )
equation 2
A(8)Whi 3
1
(ahvi (Whi )) 2 Ti
T0 i 31
n
(ms #2 rms)
246
Results
Frequency-weighted rms acceleration magnitudes
Table 1 reports the median values of tool rms acceleration magnitudes weighted by means of the four
candidate frequency weightings. Overall, the following
rank order for the machine rms acceleration values was
observed: ahv(Wh-bl)>ahv(Whf)>ahv(WhT)>ahv(Wh) (Friedmans test for paired data: P<0.001). These findings
were expected since the ISO frequency weighting Wh
produces stronger attenuation of vibration acceleration
with intermediate or high frequency components than
the other frequency weightings. The greater magnitudes
for ahv(Wh-bl), compared with ahv(Whf) and ahv(WhT), are
likely to depend on the different attenuation provided by
these frequency weightings for vibration with frequencies <2550 Hz or >200400 Hz (figure 1). The correlations between alternative frequency-weighted rms
accelerations were strong for ahv(Wh-bl) versus ahv(Whf)
or ahv(WhT) (Kendalls tau 0.900.92) and very strong
for ahv(Whf) versus ahv(WhT) (tau 0.98), while poorer rank
correlation coefficients were obtained for ahv(Wh) versus
rms accelerations weighted with the other alternative
frequency weightings (tau 0.270.34) (table 2).
Daily vibration exposure in terms of alternative measures of A(8)Whi and exposure duration were significantly
greater among the stone than forestry workers (table 3).
Bovenzi et al
Table 1. Median values of the root-sum-of-squares (vibration total value, ahv) of the root-mean-square (rms) acceleration magnitudes
generated by the vibratory tools of this study. Acceleration magnitudes are weighted by means of the four candidate frequency weightings (Wh, Wh-bl, Whf, WhT) displayed in figure 1.
Tools
Chainsaw
Brush saw
Grinder
Straight stone hammer
23
5
7
4
Median
Range
Median
Range
Median
Range
Median
Range
5.2
4.4
4.2
17.1
2.99.2
3.19.7
1.05.9
9.023.1
31.7
27.3
60.8
200
19.564.1
18.240.5
14.095.5
130282
31.5
25.9
47.0
163
19.463.8
17.238.5
8.457.2
100234
28.4
24.3
43.1
152
17.457.3
16.236.1
7.752.4
91217
Table 2. Kendalls rank correlation coefficients between root-mean-square (rms) acceleration magnitudes generated by the vibratory
tools of this study (N=39). The rms acceleration magnitudes (ahv) are weighted according to the four candidate frequency weightings
(Wh, Wh-bl, Whf, WhT) displayed in Figure 1.
Frequency weighted rms
acceleration
ahv(Wh)
ahv(Wh)
ahv(Wh-bl)
1.0
ahv(Whf)
ahv(Wh-bl)
ahv(Whf)
0.273
0.337 a
1.0
0.905 b
ahv(WhT)
0.320 a
0.922 b
ahv(WhT)
1.0
0.983 b
1.0
Table 3. Daily vibration exposure in the vibration-exposed workers not affected with vibration-induced white finger (VWF) at baseline.
See text for the definitions of A(8)Wh, A(8)Wh-bl, A(8)Whf, and A(8)WhT.
Vibration exposure
Vibration-exposed workers
Forestry workers (N=185)
Median
123
3.4
18.5
17.8
16.1
63169
2.54.5
13.226.0
12.824.8
11.622.3
Quartile
286423
5.19.6
74.0125
61.4104
57.096.2
Quartile
247
Table 4. Odds ratios (OR) and robust 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the association between the cumulative incidence of
vibration-induced white finger (VWF) (medical interview assisted by color charts) and alternative measures of daily vibration exposure
expressed in terms of 8-hour frequency-weighted energy-equivalent root-mean-square (rms) acceleration [A(8)]. A(8) was calculated by
weighting the tool rms acceleration magnitudes according to the four candidate frequency weightings (Wh, Wh-bl, Whf, WhT) displayed in
figure 1. The OR and 95% CI were estimated by the generalized estimating equations (GEE) method. In the logistic models, the measures
of vibration exposure are included as continuous variables. The Wald test for the measures of vibration exposure, and the quasi-likelihood
under the independence model criterion for the comparison between models (QIC) are given.
OR
95% CI
QIC
1.19
2.07
1.15
1.031.37
1.522.82
1.031.28
5.62
21.6
5.71
0.018
<0.001
0.017
1198
1184
-14
2.05
1.50 2.80
20.5
<0.001
1.17
2.05
1.18
2.05
1.011.34
1.512.78
1.02 1.38
1.51 2.78
4.58
21.1
4.80
21.0
0.032
<0.001
0.029
<0.001
1192
-6
1190
-8
Wald test
QIC
Predictors
Table 5. Observed and predicted cumulative incidence of vibration-induced white finger (VWF) (medical interview assisted by color
charts) among vibration-exposed workers by job title and alternative measures of daily vibration exposure in terms of 8-hour energyequivalent acceleration magnitude [A(8)]. A(8) was calculated by weighting the tool root-mean-square (rms) acceleration magnitudes
according to the four candidate frequency weightings (Wh, Wh-bl, Whf, WhT) displayed in figure 1. The predicted incidence of VWF is
estimated by the generalized estimating equations (GEE) method (see models in table 3).
Job title
Forestry workers
Stone workers
Observed VWF
incidence
(%)
A(8)Wh-bl
A(8)Whf
A(8)WhT
4.3
14.3
5.4
8
5.0
12
5.1
11
5.1
11
Discussion
Frequency weightings for hand-transmitted vibration
The characteristics of the ISO frequency weighting for
hand-transmitted vibration have been established since the
late 1970s. The ISO weighting curve was incorporated in
the 1st edition of the international standard ISO 5349:1986
(24) and retained as the Wh frequency weighting in the
current standard ISO 5349-1:2001 (1). Basically, the Wh
weighting is derived from extrapolation of the findings of
a laboratory study of subjective equal sensation contours
as a function of vibration frequency (3300 Hz) applied
to the hands of a small number of healthy subjects (25).
248
Bovenzi et al
249
Figure 2. One-third octave band acceleration spectra in the x-, y- and z-axes for a
chainsaw. Weighted acceleration magnitudes according to the alternative frequency weightings: ahv(Wh)=7.4 ms-2 rms;
ahv(Wh-bl)=56.4 ms-2 rms; ahv(Whf)=57.5
ms-2 rms; ahv(WhT)=52.8 ms-2 rms.
Figure 3. One-third octave band acceleration spectra in the x-, y- and z-axes
for a straight stone hammer. Weighted
acceleration magnitudes according to
the alternative frequency weightings:
ahv(Wh)=9.9 ms-2 rms; ahv(Wh-bl)=134 ms-2
rms; ahv(Whf)=102 ms-2 rms; ahv(WhT)=94.0
ms-2 rms
250
Bovenzi et al
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the valuable
contribution of the occupational health personnel of the
National Health Service and the University of Trieste, as
well as that of the employers and employees of the surveyed companies, who made it possible to carry out this
epidemiological study. The comments on and suggestions for the manuscript provided by Professor Michael
J Griffin (ISVR, University of Southampton, UK) are
gratefully acknowledged. This research was supported
by the European Commission under the Quality of Life
and Management of Living Resources program Project No. QLK4-2002-02650 (VIBRISKS). The authors
declare no competing interests.
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