SECTION IGENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1Aim and scope

1

This Directive, which is the 16th individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16(1) of Directive 89/391/EEC, lays down minimum requirements for the protection of workers from risks to their health and safety arising or likely to arise from exposure to mechanical vibration.

2

The requirements of this Directive shall apply to activities in which workers are or are likely to be exposed to risks from mechanical vibration during their work.

3

Directive 89/391/EEC shall apply fully to the whole area referred to in paragraph 1, without prejudice to more stringent and/or more specific provisions contained in this Directive.

Article 2Definitions

For the purposes of this Directive, the following terms shall mean:

  1. (a)

    ‘hand-arm vibration’: the mechanical vibration that, when transmitted to the human hand-arm system, entails risks to the health and safety of workers, in particular vascular, bone or joint, neurological or muscular disorders;

  2. (b)

    ‘whole-body vibration’: the mechanical vibration that, when transmitted to the whole body, entails risks to the health and safety of workers, in particular lower-back morbidity and trauma of the spine.

Article 3Exposure limit values and action values

1

For hand-arm vibration:

a

the daily exposure limit value standardised to an eight-hour reference period shall be 5 m/s2;

b

the daily exposure action value standardised to an eight-hour reference period shall be 2,5 m/s2.

Workers' exposure to hand-arm vibration shall be assessed or measured on the basis of the provisions of Point 1 of Part A of the Annex.

2

For whole-body vibration:

a

the daily exposure limit value standardised to an eight-hour reference period shall be 1,15 m/s2 or, at the choice of the Member State concerned, a vibration dose value of 21 m/s1,75;

b

the daily exposure action value standardised to an eight-hour reference period shall be 0,5 m/s2 or, at the choice of the Member State concerned, a vibration dose value of 9,1 m/s1,75.

Workers' exposure to whole-body vibration shall be assessed or measured on the basis of the provisions of Point 1 of Part B of the Annex.