 The
international community has recently drawn considerable attention
to occupational vibration and its detrimental effects on the
human body. Growing awareness of human vibration hazards in
the workplace and the promulgation of new exposure standards
like the EU Vibration Directive are driving a growing need to
quantify and qualify hand-arm and whole-body vibration exposures
from power hand tools, transportation and other equipment. First
priority is to screen for the presence and magnitude of vibration
in as simplistic a way as possible. Once results are obtained,
more detailed monitoring and analysis may be in order. Many
situations also exist where broadband measurements of hand-arm,
whole-body or machine vibration levels do not provide adequate
information to the user. For instance, in some regions of the
world human vibration exposures are required by law to be quantified
by frequency in octave bands. Elsewhere, while broadband measurements
of vibration are a prudent first step, attempting to apply engineering
controls to resolve excessive vibration levels requires an understanding
of the frequency content of the vibration that is occurring.
The lack of a pre-engineered system of sensors, monitors and
software for this full range of applications leaves employers
and vibrating equipment manufacturers with the overwhelming
task of selecting and integrating these components on their
own. Cost can run high, time required can be excessive and desired
results may never be achieved.
In response to these new developments, Quest has released
the HAVPro personal human vibration monitor and the VI-400Pro
Real Time Vibration Analyser.
Occupational vibration is divided into (2) areas, HAV, Hand
Arm Vibration, and WBV,
Whole Body Vibration.
HAV is associated with hand held power tools where the vibration
is transmitted from the work process into the workers hands
and arms. WBV is a form of mechanical vibration transmitted
through a supporting surface to the operator’s body,
such as through the seat of a vehicle or a vibrating floor
surface.
Recent comprehensive studies have demonstrated that vibration
is a physical hazard in the workplace and that exposure to
hand-arm or whole-body vibration has the potential to inflict
both short and long term physical damage. In addition, compensation
for vibration related injuries continue to escalate making
it fiscally responsible for employers to take a proactive
approach to monitoring and eliminating vibration hazards in
the workplace.
The HAVPro is a compact, lightweight, fully integrated 3-channel
instrument for obtaining tri-axial vibration measurements.
This basic monitor is the ideal screening tool for quickly
and simply determining the presence and magnitude of hazardous
hand-arm or whole-body vibration levels. Time history data
also allows insight into exposure variations over time.
The VI-400Pro is a rugged, powerful, lightweight, hand-held
device ideal for field use even in the most challenging environments.
The VI-400Pro is an advanced analyser monitoring up to four
input channels simultaneously, each including 1/1 or 1/3 real-time
octave band data. Three channels are typically used for tri-axial
vibration measurements. As a bonus, th–e fourth channel
may be used to simultaneously analyse either sound or an additional
singe axis of vibration by attaching additional optional transducers
to the instrument.
Typical Applications Include:
• Hand-Arm & Whole Body Vibration
• Compliance Monitoring
• Risk Assessment
• Workers Compensation
• Health Insurance
• Product Liability
• Engineering Controls Evaluation
• Administrative Controls Evaluation
• Exposure Profiling
• Cause/Effect Analysis
• Regulatory Enforcement
• Machine Fault Detection
QuestSuite Professional II supports both the HavPro Basic
Vibration Monitor and the VI-400Pro Advanced Real-Time Vibration
Analyser. Users configure the Havpro or VI-400Pro to their
application quickly with pre-defined and user-defined setups
contained in QuestSuite Professional II. Collected data is
recalled at the instrument or quickly and easily uploaded
to QuestSuite Professional II for further analysis and viewing.
This powerful system makes it simple to chart, report, annotate,
archive and electronically distribute exposure data.
> Brochure
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