ISO 2631-1-1997 PDF

Full title and description

Mechanical vibration and shock — Evaluation of human exposure to whole-body vibration — Part 1: General requirements. ISO 2631-1:1997 specifies general principles, measurement methods and evaluation metrics for assessing human exposure to whole-body vibration with guidance on health, comfort, perception and motion sickness effects.

Abstract

ISO 2631-1:1997 establishes methods for measuring and assessing whole-body vibration (WBV) affecting seated and standing people. It defines frequency weightings, averaging and integration methods (frequency-weighted r.m.s., running r.m.s., vibration dose value — VDV — and motion sickness dose value — MSDV), axis weighting/multiplication conventions and basic acceptance criteria intended for use across occupational, vehicle and building vibration contexts.

General information

• Status: Published (confirmed after periodic review; remains the current published version as reviewed in 2021).
• Publication date: May 1997 (corrected version June 1997).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 13.160 (Vibration and shock with respect to human beings).
• Edition / version: Edition 2 (1997).
• Number of pages: 31 (main document). Amendment 1 (2010) is published separately (6 pages).

Scope

Defines general requirements for measurement and evaluation of whole-body vibration affecting humans, including applicable frequency weightings and measurement locations, recommended frequency ranges for different assessments (typical analysis covers about 0.1–80 Hz with specific guidance for low-frequency motion relevant to motion sickness), and procedures for computing evaluation metrics used to judge health risk, comfort and motion-sickness likelihood. The standard is intended for occupational, vehicular and building vibration assessments and to be used together with more specialised parts of the ISO 2631 series where appropriate.

Key topics and requirements

• Definition of frequency weightings for whole-body vibration and guidance on filtering measured accelerations before evaluation (different weightings apply for vertical and horizontal axes).
• Methods of averaging and integration: frequency-weighted r.m.s. acceleration, running r.m.s., Vibration Dose Value (VDV) for evaluating shocks and high-peak exposures, and Motion Sickness Dose Value (MSDV) for kinetosis assessment.
• Axis treatment and axis multipliers (typical practice applies different weighting/multiplication factors for X, Y and Z axes and uses the dominant axis or vector sum rules when appropriate).
• Recommended measurement positions and instrumentation requirements (seat surfaces, floor/footrest, body contact points) and guidance on reporting (weighting used, averaging method, duration).
• Basic criteria and interpretation guidance relating exposure magnitude, frequency content and duration to likely effects on health, comfort and motion sickness (intended as evaluation guidance rather than absolute regulatory limits).

Typical use and users

Used by occupational health and safety professionals, ergonomists, human-factors and vehicle/vehicle-suspension engineers, building vibration consultants, researchers and standards writers to design measurements, assess worker or passenger exposure, compare alternatives, and support risk assessments and mitigation strategies in workplaces, vehicles and buildings.

Related standards

ISO 2631-1 is part of the ISO 2631 series on whole-body vibration. Other relevant parts include ISO 2631-2 (vibration in buildings — 1 Hz to 80 Hz), ISO 2631-4 (guidelines for passenger and crew comfort in fixed-guideway transport systems) and ISO 2631-5 (evaluation methods for vibration containing multiple shocks). Users commonly apply ISO 2631-1 together with these parts and with instrumentation and measurement standards such as ISO 8041.

Keywords

whole-body vibration, WBV, vibration dose value (VDV), motion sickness dose value (MSDV), frequency weighting, r.m.s. acceleration, measurement methods, ergonomics, human exposure, ISO 2631

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 2631-1:1997 is the international standard that sets out general requirements and methods for measuring and evaluating human exposure to whole-body vibration.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers frequency weightings, measurement points and instrumentation, calculation methods (weighted r.m.s., running r.m.s., VDV, MSDV), axis treatment and guidance on interpreting results with respect to health, comfort and motion sickness. It provides general-purpose evaluation procedures to be used across occupational, vehicle and building applications.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Occupational health and safety practitioners, ergonomists, vehicle and suspension engineers, building vibration consultants, researchers and standards developers use it to plan measurements, evaluate exposures and recommend mitigation.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The 1997 edition (Edition 2) of ISO 2631-1 remains the published version; it was reviewed and confirmed in 2021 and an Amendment 1 (2010) is available. Users should check for any newer amendments or replacement parts before relying on criteria for regulation or compliance.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — ISO 2631-1 is Part 1 of the ISO 2631 series (Evaluation of human exposure to whole-body vibration). Other parts address building vibration, transport comfort, evaluation of multiple shocks, and related topics.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Whole-body vibration, WBV, frequency weighting, r.m.s. acceleration, VDV, MSDV, ergonomics, human exposure, measurement, evaluation.