Preventive measures are a cornerstone in the work to prevent potential damage at the workplace since this is both less costly and human favourably compared to taking care of the damage once it has occurred.

The list following below depicts some examples of what can be made. This is by no means a complete list, i.e. it shall be regarded a limited example list.

• Education.
• Use gloves, do not work with cold hands
• Optimize the work shift
• Job rotation
• Regular breaks from vibration
• Use better tools
• Mitigate vibrations
• Regular maintenance of tools
• New or revised work methods

- Education.
This is an important preventive measure. If the staff is aware of the potential danger, they can try to avoid an unnecessarily dangerous behaviour. Another point is that when the staff is informed about the risks, then they can make their own evaluation about the risk in both short and long term. Most people do not know that vibration exposure can cause permanent vibration damage.
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- Use gloves, do not work with cold hands.
The main objective is to keep the hands warm since working with cold hands increases the risk of getting vibration injuries.
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- Optimize the work shift.
Try to plan the daily operations to spread the vibration exposure over a whole day instead of performing extensive “vibration work” in a short time.
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- Job rotation.
Try to move around to different work tasks, e.g. on a weekly basis.
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- Regular breaks from vibration.
It is important to take regular brakes, allowing the hands a short time recovery. If possible, try to divide the vibrating work into 30 minute sessions with a 5-10 min breaks in between. Note that brakes do not necessarily mean the same as doing nothing i.e. other non vibrating work can be performed during the “vibration brake”.
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- Use better tools.
Some tool manufacturers have worked hard to develop tools that vibrate less. When replacing old tools, it is recommended to choose tools with lower declared vibration levels. If you are unsure, you can often borrow a tool to evaluate it before deciding on purchase.
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- Mitigate vibrations.
In some professions, it is possible to use anti-vibration gloves. This type of gloves is most effective when using high-speed tools. Another way is to dampen vibrations in the tool handle, e.g. with vibration-dampening silicone socks or by installing a special dampening tool handle.
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- Regular maintenance of tools.
A worn tool may well vibrate 3-4 times more than a new one. A regular maintenance and replacement of worn tool is an effective measure to reduce vibration exposure.
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- New or revised work methods.
This action means that you should review the work practices to find other options that provide a lower vibration exposure. Some examples:

- Replace bolting or riveting with gluing. It is possible to mount plasterboards with a combination of glue and screws, instead of just using screws.

- Optimize the program for CNC/NC machines to minimize a "vibrant" post-processing such as drilling or grinding.

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