Hygienic assessment of the protective properties of personal hand protection equipment during vibration testing

Introduction. In industrial environments, at the workplaces of hand tool operators, it is not always possible to completely eliminate increased levels of vibration exposure. The power and speed characteristics of modern hand-held machines are constantly increasing. The impact of local vibration on a person has a negative effect on his body. When working with hand tools, personal protective equipment is used. The purpose of personal hand protection against vibration is to reduce the vibration impact on a person.

Materials and methods. Bench tests were carried out on hand protection products consisting of damping materials of various shapes and locations in the product. The vibration sensor was installed and fastened in places where the operator’s hands came into contact with vibration and on the forearm. The effectiveness of protection was determined by the difference in measurement levels.

Results. During the tests, vibration levels were recorded on the handle of the vibration stand, the palmar surface, the fingers, and the operator’s forearm. In the low-frequency region of the spectrum, vibration attenuation is minimal, and as the frequency range increases, the attenuation increases. Across all areas of the spectrum, performance levels for mittens are higher than for gloves. In places where the fingers come into contact with vibration, the efficiency is less than when in contact with the hand, and in the low-frequency region of the spectrum a negative efficiency of up to 0.8 dB is noted. Vibration measurements on the operator’s forearm showed vibration levels in the forearm to be lower than in the hand.

Limitations. The study was conducted over a period of one year, in laboratory conditions, and was limited to two thousand measurements.

Conclusion. Hygienic assessment of the effectiveness of the protective properties of personal protective equipment for hands was carried out in accordance with developed laboratory test methods when installing and securing a vibration sensor on the handle, hand, and forearm of the operator. Determining the effectiveness of the entire product model should be considered when designing and manufacturing new hand protection against vibration.

Compliance with ethical standards. The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the Declaration of Helsinki of the World Medical Association. The conclusion of the Local Ethical Committee of the Federal Budgetary Institution “North-West Scientific Center for Hygiene and Public Health” was received, protocol No. 2024/66.3 dated January 26, 2024. Each study participant gave informed voluntary written consent to participate in the study and publish personal information in anonymized form in the journal “Hygiene and Sanitation”.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgement. The study had no sponsorship.

Received: May 3, 2024 / Accepted: June 19, 2024 / Revised: June 6, 2024 / Published: September 10, 2024