BS 6841:1987

Foreword
Committees responsible
Guide
1. Scope
2. Effects of whole-body vibration and repeated shock
3. Vibration measurement and frequency weighting
4. Guide to the evaluation of vibration and repeated
    shock with respect to effects on health
5. Guide to the evaluation of vibration with respect
    to effects on human activities
6. Guide to the evaluation of vibration and repeated
    shock with respect to discomfort and perception
7. Guide to the evaluation of low frequency vibration
    with respect to the incidence of motion sickness
Appendices
A. Effects of vibration and repeated shock on health
B. Effects of vibration on human activities
C. Effects of vibration and repeated shock on comfort
    and perception
D. Effects of whole-body low frequency vibration on
    the incidence of motion sickness
Tables
1. Outline guide to the application of frequency
    weightings
2. Characteristics of band-limiting and band-pass
    filters for frequency weightings
3. Asymptotic approximations to the frequency
    weightings given in table 2
Figures
1. Basicentric axes of the human body
2. Moduli of the frequency weightings with band-
    limiting filters
3. Root-mean-square acceleration magnitudes
    corresponding to vibration dose values from 1.9 m.s
    (-1.75) to m.s.(-1.75) for vibration exposure
    periods from 1 s to 24 h

Methods of quantifying vibration and shock in relation to human health, interference with activities, discomfort, the probability of vibration perception and the incidence of motion sickness. Tentative guidance is given on the possible effects of vibration.

Transport (air, land and water), machinery (e.g. in industry and agriculture) and industrial activities (such as piling and blasting) expose the human body to mechanical vibration and repeated shock.

This British Standard guide gives methods for quantifying vibration and repeated shocks in relation to human health, interference with activities, discomfort, the probability of vibration perception and the incidence of motion sickness.

The guide is applicable to motions transmitted to the body as a whole through the supporting surfaces: the feet of a standing person, the buttocks, back and feet of a seated person or the supporting area of a recumbent person. Vibration is often complex, containing many frequencies, occurring in several directions and changing over time.

Vibration limits are not presented. However, the methods have been given so that they may be used as the basis of limits which may be prepared separately. Various appendices provide current information on the possible effects of vibration.

The guidance is intended to be a fair compromise based on the available data and should satisfy the need for recommendations which are simple and suitable for general applications. The guidance is presented in numerical terms to avoid ambiguity and to encourage precise measurements. When using the recommendations it is important to bear in mind the restrictions placed on their application. More precise information may sometimes be obtained from the scientific literature.

NOTE The titles of the publications referred to in this standard are given on the inside back cover.