Operators’ Exposure to Hand-Arm Vibration in Small Olive Growing

Many little sloping olive groves are present in Mediterranean countries, where the olive cultivation is here feasible with brushcutters, motorhoes, chainsaws, backpack mistblowers and hand-held olive harvesters. All the mentioned machines are unfortunately carrier of possible hand-arm vibrations (HAV) risks onset for the operators. Many studies concern the specific vibration risk of the above mentioned machines, but there is a research shortage on the HAV operators’ exposure during the entire cultivation season. Aim of this work was to study the operator’s exposure to the HAV risk, using both the ISO 5349-1 standard (as requested by the European Directive 2002/44) and the ISO/TR 18570, to correctly evaluate the vascular risk. Vibration transmitted by a motorhoe, a chainsaw, a backpack mistblower and a hand-held olive harvester were measured in an olive grove located in the Liguria Region (Italy, North West). Measurements were performed in field throughout the growing season by one operator (from November 2019 to April 2021, delayed due to the pandemic emergency). The simultaneous acquisition of the vibration along the three directions (X, Y and Z) were performed. The signals were frequency weighted using the weighting curves Wh (ISO 5349-1 standard), and Wp (ISO/TR 18570). The daily operators’ exposures A(8) and Ep,d were calculated and compared with the current regulation. The motorhoe, the chainsaw and the hand-held olive harvester showed the highest values, independently by the weighting curve. Only the backpack mistblower showed lower hand-arm vibration values.