Tool-specific performance of vibration- reducing gloves for attenuating fingers-transmitted vibration

Abstract

BACKGROUNDFingers-transmitted vibration can cause vibration-induced white finger. The effectiveness of vibration-reducing (VR) gloves for reducing hand transmitted vibration to the fingers has not been sufficiently examined.OBJECTIVEThe objective of this study is to examine tool-specific performance of VR gloves for reducing finger-transmitted vibrations in three orthogonal directions (3D) from powered hand tools.METHODSA transfer function method was used to estimate the tool-specific effectiveness of four typical VR gloves. The transfer functions of the VR glove fingers in three directions were either measured in this study or during a previous study using a 3D laser vibrometer. More than seventy vibration spectra of various tools or machines were used in the estimations.RESULTSWhen assessed based on frequency-weighted acceleration, the gloves provided little vibration reduction. In some cases, the gloves amplified the vibration by more than 10%, especially the neoprene glove. However, the neoprene glove did the best when the assessment was based on unweighted acceleration. The neoprene glove was able to reduce the vibration by 10% or more of the unweighted vibration for 27 out of the 79 tools. If the dominant vibration of a tool handle or workpiece was in the shear direction relative to the fingers, as observed in the operation of needle scalers, hammer chisels, and bucking bars, the gloves did not reduce the vibration but increased it.CONCLUSIONSThis study confirmed that the effectiveness for reducing vibration varied with the gloves and the vibration reduction of each glove depended on tool, vibration direction to the fingers, and finger location. VR gloves, including certified anti-vibration gloves do not provide much vibration reduction when judged based on frequency-weighted acceleration. However, some of the VR gloves can provide more than 10% reduction of the unweighted vibration for some tools or workpieces. Tools and gloves can be matched for better effectiveness for protecting the fingers.

Evaluation of wildland fire fighter exposures during fuel reduction projects.

“…Recent studies suggest that while some AV gloves can significantly reduce vibrations to the palm, AV gloves reduce chain saw vibrations to the fingers by an average of just 4% [Welcome et al 2016]. Some glove designs may even amplify chain saw vibrations transmitted to the fingers.…”

The Efficacy of Anti-vibration Gloves

“…A transfer function method has been used to estimate the vibration reduction potential of a glove at the palm and at the fingers for a variety of different power tool spectra [10,24]. The data show that for the vibration transmissibility at the fingers, any reduction in vibration is not significant for most tools.…”

Los guantes antivibratorios: ¿une avenida de prevención eficaz y aplicable?

“…Estos autores, contrariamente a otros, confirman que la medición en los dedos es posible y que debería ser considerada en otra norma. Welcome et al (2014Welcome et al ( /2014 demostraron que la transmisibilidad de la vibración varía según las diferentes ubicaciones en cada dedo . Según estos autores, la eficacia de atenuación de los guantes en los dedos es inferior al 10 %, con una reducción media de menos del 5 %.…”

“…El estudio cualitativo realizado con trabajadores coincide con las conclusiones de ciertos autores en cuanto a los obstáculos identificados en relación con el uso de los guantes. Entre estos obstá-culos, cabe señalar la disminución de la destreza manual (Wimer et al, 2010) y una incomodidad debido al calor y al sudor (Pinto et al, 2001), un aumento de la fuerza de agarre (Wimer et al, 2010), fatiga muscular (Rosponi, Lenzuni & Fattorini, 2001;Cabeças & Milho, 2009;Welcome et al, 2014Welcome et al, /2014 y una disminución de la seguridad . El uso de guantes puede, a lo sumo, ocasionar problemas de salud en los trabajadores, lo que no es despreciable.…”