South Africa Physical Agents Regulations 2024 13: Vibration: hand-arm and whole-body vibration eliminated at source where practicable; at the action level identify why and review controls; at or above the OEL apply alternative methods, low-vibration plant, maintenance, layout and rest facility review, review of assessment, monitoring, screening, surveillance and controls, exposure limits and protective clothing against cold and damp; monitoring to SANS 2631 for whole-body and the prescribed axis, cycle, hand and season rules for hand-arm vibration

What does 13 require?

The employer or self-employed person eliminates hand-arm and whole-body vibration at source where reasonably practicable. Where exposure reaches the Table 1 action level they identify why and review controls to stay below the OEL; where it is at or above the OEL the minimum measures are alternative working methods, plant and machinery designed for the lowest achievable vibration, maintenance programmes, review of workplace, workstation and rest facility design and layout, review of the risk assessment, monitoring, screening, surveillance and controls, limits on the duration and magnitude of exposure, and protective clothing against cold and damp. Whole-body vibration monitoring follows SANS 2631; hand-arm vibration monitoring is conducted along the pitch, yaw and roll axes, over at least one exposure cycle normalised to an eight-hour time-weighted average (partial exposures from several sources combined), on each hand for two-handed equipment taking the higher value, during the coldest period of the shift and in the year's coldest quarter as the assessment determines.