Development and evaluation of an occupational health services programme on the prevention and control of effects of vibration.

The outline of a study in occupational health services (OHS) on the prevention and control of effects of whole-body vibration is described and preliminary results are presented here. The study comprises an inventory of current activities of occupational health services in vibration-related issues, the development of a specific OHS-programme and evaluation of this programme, mainly on process level. Results of the inventory, a questionnaire survey in occupational health services (n = 112, response 67%), show that the impact of OHS in prevention and control of adverse health effects is small. The development and evaluation of a specific OHS-programme may be useful in setting up a preventive approach. Some methodologic problems are discussed also.