Whole-body vibration : the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005: guidance on regulations

Exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV), particularly to large shocks and jolts, is a back-pain health risk for employees who drive mobile machines or other work vehicles over poor surfaces as a main part of their job.

Employers have a duty to control health risks to their employees from exposure to WBV under the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 (the Vibration Regulations).

This guidance will be of particular interest to employers in industries where there may be a health risk from WBV and include agriculture, construction, forestry, mines and quarries.

Risks may also exist where industrial trucks are used to transport materials, e.g. in factories , depots, warehouses and docks, particularly where the surfaces the trucks travel on are in poor condition or the drivers use poor driving techniques.