Analysis of Metrological Requirements in Occupational Health and Safety Regulations Related to the Emerging Risk of Exposure to Vibrations
Source abstract
Abstract
In occupational exposure to vibration, the risk assessment process is defined through a regulatory framework that presents some relevant metrological problems. This framework considers methods based on estimation and on measurements. Estimation methods could employ existing information that is provided for each manufacturer to each individual tool or application to carry out such estimation. The use of estimation methods has some problems, such as substantial uncertainty. When using measurement methods, some metrological aspects are not fully defined. Therefore, a new and emerging risk appears due to certain methodologic limitations. Consequently, the variation between the estimated and the actual values could overestimate the level of occupational exposure to vibrations. Thus, with this paper, a critical analysis of this emerging metrological problem is provided. For this, a critical analysis of the metrological requirements regarding European standards is developed. To this end, the estimation method and measure method are investigated, considering, in both cases, the main factors related to uncertainty, reliability, and traceability. With this structure, a set of metrological limitations have been identified, thus pointing towards future lines of research that allow the improvement of the process of assessing the level of occupational exposure to vibrations.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Occupational Health and Safety Research · Risk and Safety Analysis · Chemical Safety and Risk Management
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Department of Mechanical Engineering, ICAI, Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Calle de Alberto Aguilera, 25, 28015 Madrid, Spain
Department of Physics, Systems Engineering and Signal Theory, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad de Alicante, Campus de Sant Vicent del Raspeig s/n, 03690 Sant Vicent del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain
IIT, ICAI, Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Calle de Alberto Aguilera, 25, 28015 Madrid, Spain
Manufacturing and Construction Engineering Department, ETS de Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Calle Juan del Rosal, 12, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Funding
Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad
References (45)
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