Vibration Monitoring - Protecting Your Workforce | OHSA

Workplace Vibration Monitoring Services

Prevent chronic injuries, optimize machinery use, and protect your workforce.

Prolonged exposure to intense vibration permanently damages nerves, joints, and blood vessels. OHSA provides comprehensive workplace vibration monitoring services to measure environmental extremes, evaluate machinery risks, and implement scientifically backed engineering controls. Furthermore, we train safety professionals to manage these critical occupational hygiene hazards internally.

Book a Vibration Assessment: 1300 647 200

The Severe Dangers of Unmanaged Vibration Hazards

You cannot always see vibration, but the physical damage is irreversible. Under the WHS Act, employers have a strict legal duty to provide a safe working environment, which includes managing exposure to hazardous mechanical vibration.

Unfortunately, relying solely on manufacturer equipment manuals does not accurately reflect real-world wear and tear. Consequently, cumulative vibration exposure leads to debilitating conditions like Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) and severe lower back trauma. Therefore, our expert occupational hygienists conduct precise vibration monitoring using advanced scientific equipment. We eliminate the guesswork, ensuring your workforce operates safely and your business remains fully compliant.

Our Vibration Management Solutions

We deliver targeted, data-driven assessments to protect your workers and ensure legal compliance.

1. Hand-Arm Vibration (HAV) Monitoring. First, we assess the risk posed by hand-held power tools, such as jackhammers, grinders, and chainsaws. Specifically, we deploy tri-axial accelerometers to measure the vibration magnitude transmitted directly to the worker’s hands. Next, we use this data to determine the daily exposure action value (EAV) and exposure limit value (ELV).
2. Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) Assessments. Operators of heavy earthmoving equipment, tractors, and forklifts absorb intense vibration through their seats and the floor. Therefore, we conduct Whole-Body Vibration assessments to measure the mechanical shocks travelling through the spinal column. We evaluate these risks against AS/NZS ISO 2631 standards to prevent chronic lumbar spine injuries.
3. Equipment and Machinery Profiling. Different physical tasks and aging machinery generate varying levels of vibration. For example, a poorly maintained grinder generates far more vibration than a newly serviced one. Ultimately, we profile your specific fleet to identify high-risk tools and recommend maintenance schedules or anti-vibration replacements.
4. Job Rotation and Policy Development. Once we gather the exposure data, we build customised vibration management plans. Importantly, we help you establish scientifically backed job rotation schedules, purchasing policies for low-vibration tools, and medical surveillance programs to keep your site productive without compromising safety.

Build Internal Capability: Master Occupational Hygiene

Do you want to know how to calculate exposure action values and implement life-saving vibration protocols directly on your site? OHSA bridges the gap between expert consulting and elite WHS education.

As a Registered Training Organisation (RTO 31092), we teach the exact risk management frameworks our consultants use in the field. Upgrading your qualifications empowers you to manage complex physical hazards confidently.

• Diploma of WHS: Gain the advanced skills required to evaluate enterprise-level safety frameworks, manage occupational hygiene reports, and implement physical hazard controls for high-risk environments.
• Risk Management Training: Learn how to systematically identify vibration hazards, assess their severity using industry-standard tools, and apply the hierarchy of controls effectively.

View WHS Risk Management Courses.

Industry Insights & Regulatory Standards

To ensure absolute accuracy and legal protection, OHSA bases all vibration monitoring on established physiological science and peak industry standards:

• Safe Work Australia: We align our corporate vibration policies directly with the national guidelines for managing the risks of Hand-Arm and Whole-Body vibration.
• Standards Australia (AS/NZS ISO 5349 & 2631): We conduct all assessments in strict accordance with the AS/NZS ISO standards for the measurement and evaluation of human exposure to mechanical vibration.
• Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists (AIOH): We conduct our physical hazard assessments following the rigorous scientific and ethical standards championed by the AIOH.
• WorkSafe Queensland: We cross-reference your compliance directly with state-specific WHS legislation to ensure complete local regulatory protection.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• What is Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS)? HAVS is a debilitating, irreversible condition caused by prolonged use of vibrating hand tools. It affects the blood vessels, nerves, and joints in the fingers, hands, and arms. Symptoms include tingling, numbness, pain, and “vibration white finger” (blanching of the fingers).
• What is Whole-Body Vibration (WBV)? Whole-Body Vibration occurs when mechanical vibration is transmitted through the body, typically via the seat or the feet of an operator driving heavy mobile plant machinery (such as excavators or dump trucks). Prolonged WBV exposure is a leading cause of severe lower back pain and spinal degeneration.
• How is vibration exposure measured? Occupational hygienists measure vibration using specialised devices called accelerometers. For hand-arm vibration, these sensors attach directly to the vibrating tool near the operator’s hand. For whole-body vibration, a specialised seat pad containing accelerometers is placed beneath the seated operator.
• When should a business conduct vibration monitoring? You should conduct vibration monitoring if your workers regularly use hand-held power tools for more than an hour a day, or if they operate heavy mobile machinery on rough terrain. Additionally, you must reassess exposures whenever you introduce new tools or if an employee reports symptoms like tingling or numbness.