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The hand-arm vibration syndrome associated with the grinding of handheld workpieces in a subtropical environment

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Abstract

Objectives

To study the characteristics and the factors influencing the occurrence of the Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) for a population grinding handheld workpieces in a subtropical environment.

Methods

A total of 803 workers grinding handheld workpieces formed the exposure group and 464 workers not exposed to hand-transmitted vibration (HTV) were recruited as the non-exposed group within the same factory in a subtropical climate area. The basic personal information and clinical symptoms reported were collected by trained physicians using a questionnaire and representative measurements were made of the HTV exposure levels and dose.

Results

The average HTV exposure dose A(8) was measured as 5.3 ± 2.0 m/s2. The proportion of grinders reporting finger blanching was 15.4% while it was 27.5% for finger numbness. Among the non-exposed group, that proportion was 0% and 6.3% respectively. There was a positive association between the vibration exposure duration and the occurrence of finger blanching, finger numbness and finger coldness. Riding a motorcycle to work was also identified as a factor that could contribute to a higher prevalence of finger blanching among the exposed workers, the OR value was found to be 1.75 (1.12, 2.75).

Conclusions

Workers exposed to vibration in a subtropical area can also present evidence of finger blanching in addition to neurological symptoms. The reported rate of HAVS was positively associated with the exposure duration. And the levels of the duration of exposure relative to symptoms of vibration white finger in a subtropical temperate environment exposed to a high-frequency vibration might be deemphasized by the current ISO weighting. Motorcycle transportation to work was identified as a factor that could influence the development of the HAVS among the exposed population of grinders.

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Funding

This study was funded by the Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Public Health Detection and Assessment (Grant number 2019GCZX012); the National Science Foundation of China (NSFC; Grant number 81202183); and by the Science and Technology Program of Guangdong, China (STPG; Grant number 2013B051000065).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Public Health Detection and Assessment, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University (2019GCZX012), Guangzhou, 510310, China

    Nuoyan Wei, Ting Chen, Hongyu Yang, Shan Wu & Qingsong Chen

  2. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Occupational Disease Prevention and Treatment (2017B030314152), Guangdong Province Hospital for Occupational Disease Prevention and Treatment, Haikang Street No. 68, Haizhu District, Guangzhou City, 510300, China

    Nuoyan Wei, Hongyu Yang, Shan Wu, Paul-Émile Boileau & Qingsong Chen

  3. Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Haikang Street No. 68, Haizhu District, Guangzhou City, 510300, Guangdong, China

    Hansheng Lin, Bin Xiao, Maosheng Yan & Li Lang

  4. Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

    Paul-Émile Boileau

Authors
  1. Nuoyan Wei
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  2. Hansheng Lin
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  3. Ting Chen
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  4. Bin Xiao
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  5. Maosheng Yan
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  6. Li Lang
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  7. Hongyu Yang
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  8. Shan Wu
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  9. Paul-Émile Boileau
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  10. Qingsong Chen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Qingsong Chen.

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Certification was obtained from the Medical Ethics Committee of Guangdong Provisional Center for Prevention and Treatment of Occupational Diseases prior to beginning of this study.

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Cite this article

Wei, N., Lin, H., Chen, T. et al. The hand-arm vibration syndrome associated with the grinding of handheld workpieces in a subtropical environment. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 94, 773–781 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-020-01615-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-020-01615-5

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