The Risk of Hand-Arm Vibration (HAV) from Using Grinders in Metal Sheet Cutting

Abstract

Studies indicate that excessive exposure to vibration can cause harm to the human body. Consequently, the use of rotary tools may pose health risk to operators, especially in the absence of a damping system. This study aims to quantify hand-arm vibration (HAV) generated by grinders during the cutting of metallic materials. Three grinder models were tested for cutting ASTM 1100 H14 aluminum sheets, SAE 1020 carbon steel, and AISI 304L stainless steel, collecting vibration data using the Vib008 dosimeter. Inferential analysis employed the Kruskal-Wallis test for independent samples to evaluate HAV levels, along with the Mann-Whitney U test for independent samples, with a confidence level of p < 0.05. HAV results indicate that in Group ES-I, HAV for manufacturer “A” was 12.33 m/s², 148% above the TL; for manufacturer “B,” it was 11.39 m/s², 127% above the TL; and for manufacturer “C,” it was 10.62 m/s², 112% above the TL. In Group ES-II, HAV for manufacturer “A” was 7.55 m/s², 50% above the TL; for manufacturer “B,” 7.83 m/s², 56% above; and for manufacturer “C,” 6.91 m/s², 38% above the TL. Acceleration values in the x, y, and z axes, as well as total acceleration, indicate that they exceed the tolerance limit of 5 m/s². According to the results, exposure to vibration in Group ES-I could cause Raynaud's phenomenon in 10% of exposed workers over an average period of 2.5 years, and in Group ES-II over 3.75 years. The results suggest that the grinders used on-site for metal cutting pose a health risk to workers, necessitating corrective measures such as limiting usage time and recommending replacement with anti-vibration models to achieve and maintain acceptable vibration levels.