Exposure points system and ready-reckoner

Using the ready-reckoner will help employers calculate daily vibration exposures.

All you need is the vibration magnitude (level) and exposure time. The ready-reckoner covers a range of vibration magnitudes up to 40 m/s2 and a range of exposure times up to 10 hours.

The exposures for different combinations of vibration magnitude and exposure time are given in exposure points instead of values in m/s2 A(8). You may find the exposure points easier to work with than the A(8) values:

  • exposure points change simply with time - twice the exposure time, twice the number of points
  • exposure points can be added together, for example where a worker is exposed to two or more different sources of vibration in a day
  • the exposure action value (2.5 m/s2 A(8)) is equal to 100 points
  • the exposure limit value (5 m/s2 A(8)) is equal to 400 points

Using the ready reckoner

You can download and view the ready-reckoner here. Below are some helpful tips on how to use it:

  1. find the vibration magnitude (level) for the tool or process (or the nearest value) on the grey scale on the left of the table.
  2. find the exposure time (or the nearest value) on the grey scale across the bottom of the table.
  3. find the value in the table that lines up with the magnitude and time. The illustration shows how it works for a magnitude of 5 m/s2 and an exposure time of 3 hours: in this case the exposure corresponds to 150 points.
  4. compare the points value with the exposure action and limit values (100 and 400 points respectively). In this example the score of 150 points lies above the exposure action value.

The colour of the square containing the exposure points value tells you whether the exposure exceeds, or is likely to exceed, the exposure action or limit value.

If a worker is exposed to more than one tool or process during the day, repeat steps 1 - 3 for each one, add the points, and compare the total with the exposure action value (100) and the exposure limit value (400).

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2024-02-09