PURPOSE : to protect workers from risks arising from mechanical vibrations.
COMMUNITY MEASURE : Directive 2002/44/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to the risks arising from physical agents (vibration) (sixteenth individual directive within the meaning of Article 16(1) of Directive 89/391/EEC).
CONTENT : This directive lays down minimum requirements on the exposure of workers to vibrations. It leaves Member States the option of adopting more favourable provisions for the protection of workers, in particular the fixing of lower values for the daily action value or the daily exposure limit value for vibrations.
For hand-arm vibration:
- the daily exposure limit value standardised to an eight-hour reference period is 5 m/s2;
- the daily exposure action value standardised to an eight-hour reference period shall be 2.5 m/s2.
For whole-body vibration:
- the daily exposure limit value standardised to an eight-hour reference period is 1.15 m/s2 or, at the choice of the Member State concerned, a vibration dose value of 21 m/s 1.75.
- the daily exposure action value standardised to an eight-hour reference period is 0.5m/s2 or, at the choice of the Member State concerned, a vibration dose value of 9.1 m/s1.75.
Workers exposure to hand-arm vibrations and to whole body vibrations is to be assessed or measured on the basis of provisions in the Annex to the Directive.
There are provisions in the Directive dealing with the obligation of employers in respect of:
- determination and assessment of risks
- provisions aimed at avoiding or reducing exposure
- worker information and training
- consultation and participation of workers
There are also provisions for derogation under certain circumstances.
Member States have a maximum transitional period of five years from 06/07/05 where work equipment is used which was given to workers before 06/07/07 and which does not permit the exposure limit values to be respected, taking into account the latest technical advances or organisational measures. With regard to equipment used in agricultural and forestry sectors, the transitional period may be extended by up to four years.
DATE FOR TRANSPOSITION : 06/07/05.
ENTRY INTO FORCE : 06/07/02.�