Vibration is a prevailing condition at many workplaces, but normally there is a poor notice about this. In most cases, handheld tools or machines cause the vibrations, where the tool development has been driven by a need to facilitate the work or increase the productivity.

For many people, this has led to an excessive exposure to vibration in their daily work. However, the human body is not built to withstand such strain, which means there is a great risk to acquire vibration damage if not being careful.

The problem with vibrating tools and machinery and subsequent vibration damages has received attention at the EU level, which resulted in an EU directive 2002/44/EC: This directive (Physical Agent) became mandatory throughout the EU in July 2005.

The EU directive sets out strict requirements on all employers in the EU, who have a vibration, exposed workplace. Today it is estimated that there are more than 25 million affected workers in the EU, or more correctly put, protected by this directive.

A positive effect of the directive has been (as was the idea) that many tool and machine manufacturers have made efforts to develop new products that emit less vibration. EU is now in the forefront of research, both in the medical field and about workplace environments for vibration-exposed workers.