A Method for Analyzing the Effectiveness of Vibration-Reducing Gloves Based on Vibration Power Absorption

Details

• Personal Author:
  Dong, Ren G. ; McDowell, Thomas W. ; Welcome DE ; Xu XS
• Description:
  The effectiveness of vibration-reducing (VR) gloves is conventionally assessed based on the vibration transmissibility of the gloves. This study proposed a method for analyzing and assessing the effectiveness of VR gloves based on how gloves affect the vibration power absorption (VPA) of the hand-arm system and its distribution. A model of the entire tool-handle-glove-hand-arm system was used to predict the VPA distributed in the glove and across the substructures of the hand-arm system. The ratio of the gloved-VPA and ungloved-VPA in each group of system substructures was calculated and used to quantify VR glove effectiveness, which was termed the VPA-based glove vibration transmissibility in this study. The VPA-based transmissibility values were compared with those determined using to-the-hand and on-the-hand methods. Three types of gloves (ordinary work glove, gel VR glove, and air bubble VR glove) were considered in the modeling analyses. This study made the following findings: the total VPA-based transmissibility spectrum exhibits some similarities with those determined using the other two methods; the VPA-based transmissibility for the wrist-forearm-elbow substructures is identical to that for the upper-arm-shoulder substructures in the model used in this study; each of them is equal to the square of the glove vibration transmissibility determined using the on-the-wrist method or on-the-upper-arm method; the other substructure-specific VPA-based transmissibility spectra exhibit some unique features; the effectiveness of a glove for reducing the overall VPA in the hand-arm system depends on the glove effectiveness for absorbing the vibration energy, which seems to be associated primarily with the glove cushioning materials; the glove may also help protect the fingers or hand by redistributing the VPA across the hand substructures; this redistribution seems to be primarily associated with the glove structural properties, especially the tightness of fit for the glove. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Protective Clothing Safety Vibration
• Keywords:
  Anti-vibration Glove Author Keywords: Vibration-reducing Glove Gloves Hand Protection Protective Equipment Upper Extremities Vibration Energy Method Vibration Exposure
• ISSN:
  2571-631X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  16-29
• Volume:
  4
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20068656
• Citation:
  Vibration 2021 Mar; 4(1):16-29
• Contact Point Address:
  Ren G. Dong, Physical Effects Research Branch, Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
• Email:
  rkd6@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2021
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Vibration
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:726e53449cc6795989364207339e7085788bc7fb40aa2a51f432dc3a0cfe700882938b376d560010f463f83e739a183b0ec3070c9a9a446a56993517ed63b169
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/207249/cdc_207249_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 3.27 MB ]