The Hand-Arm Vibration International Consortium (HAVIC): prospective studies on the relationship between power tool exposure and health effects.

Objectives: The Hand-Arm Vibration International Consortium (HAVIC) is a collaboration of investigators from Europe and North America studying health effects from hand-arm vibration (HAV). Features include prospective design, cross-cohort exposure, and health assessment methods.

Methods: Two new cohorts (dental hygienists and dental hygiene students), two existing cohorts (Finnish forest workers, and Swedish truck cab assemblers), and a previous population (US shipyard workers) are included. Instruments include surveys, quantitative medical tests, physical examination, and work simulation and data logging to assess exposure. New methods were developed for nerve conduction and data logging.

Results: Findings on the relationship between nerve conduction and skin temperature in HAV-exposed subjects resulted in a new approach to subject warming.

Conclusions: Integrating established cohorts has advantages over de novo cohort construction. Complex laboratory tests can be successfully adapted for field use.