Whole body vibration and acoustic exposure in construction and demolition waste management

Abstract

Waste management is a problem in Europe and has been identified in the lines of action of Horizon 2020. The processes involved in the waste management of the construction and demolitions sectors cause workers to be exposed to physical risks such as whole body vibrations and noise. This case study presents the analysis of a construction waste management plant. In order to analyse the physical risks to which workers are exposed in waste recovery processes, exposure to Whole-Body Vibrations (WBV) and noise has been identified, measured and evaluated in operations carried out by workers. The measurements have been made according to the Physical Agents (Vibration) Directive 2002/44/EC and the Physical Agents (Noise) Directive 2003/10/EC. This study shows that the workers are not exposed to WBV exposure level above the Exposure Action Value (EAV). However, on the sorting belt the noise level exposure is above the EAV. © 2018 Taylor & Francis Group, London.