Hand-arm vibration syndrome and its prevalence in the present status of private forestry enterprises in Japan

Summary Currently there are no limitations on age of employment on private forestries in Japan. Hence, it was hypothesized that in these kind of enterprises, elderly chain saw operators, or those with long-term exposure, might be at higher risk of developing hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). We consequently investigated the prevalence of HAVS in 447 chain saw workers on private forestries in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, with particular reference to age and exposure period. Of this population, 43 (9.6%) had signs and symptoms of vibration-induced white finger (VWF), and among these workers the severity of finger blanching was significantly correlated (P < 0.01) with the exposure period. Classification of all subjects by exposure period showed that workers with 30 years' exposure had higher prevalences of VWF (20.9%) and numbness of the hands (25.4%) compared to other groups. Significant differences (P < 0.01) were found between the functional capacities of workers with VWF and those of control subjects. We concluded that (a) the elderly chain saw operators and those with longer exposure should be moved to other jobs with a lower or no risk of exposure to vibration, and (b) the results of screening tests, even without cold water immersion (which we did not employ, in order to protect workers' hands), could be helpful for the identification of workers with VWF.