The hand-arm vibration syndrome associated with the grinding of handheld workpieces in a subtropical environment.

Objectives: To study the characteristics and the factors influencing the occurrence of the Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) for a population grinding handheld workpieces in a subtropical environment.

Methods: A total of 803 workers grinding handheld workpieces formed the exposure group and 464 workers not exposed to hand-transmitted vibration (HTV) were recruited as the non-exposed group within the same factory in a subtropical climate area. The basic personal information and clinical symptoms reported were collected by trained physicians using a questionnaire and representative measurements were made of the HTV exposure levels and dose.