ForConstructionPros.com

"Ergonomics" has become a common buzzword when it comes to equipment design, and demolition hammers are certainly no exception. In fact, regulations in Europe have mandated a focus on ergonomics for various types of hand-held tools.

"The European market has laws regulating both the amount and duration of vibration that an operator can be exposed to during a working shift," explains John Vogel, vice president of sales - hand-held tools, Atlas Copco Construction Tools LLC. "Because of this legislation, private companies have been forced to conform to the standards."

Although no such standards yet exist in the U.S., the growing concern over the risks of prolonged exposure to vibration is causing many manufacturers to look to the future.

"Some forward-looking companies have sought ergonomic solutions to protect workers from noise and vibration, with the added benefit of increasing productivity from the workforce," says Vogel. "A tool that is less fatiguing helps a worker accomplish more in a single work shift."

The reason for regulation
The primary risk associated with long-term use of hand-held equipment is hand-arm vibration syndrome, an industrial injury triggered by continuous exposure to high levels of vibration. The most common variant is vibration white finger, sometimes called "dead man's hand" due to the white, dead-looking condition of the fingers.