The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has submitted its proposed occupational heat standard to the Office of the Federal Register (OFR) where it is pending official publication.  OSHA has made a draft version publicly available for review; it includes background information and justifications in addition to explanations of the requirements it creates.
     At nearly 1300 pages of “regulese” (a dialect of legalese), OSHA’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) is a substantial document.  Though it only becomes official when published in the Federal Register, a document of this magnitude, in terms of both physical size and potential consequences, warrants a preview.  Any modifications that occur during OFR review are likely to be more aesthetic than substantive, ensuring the effort is not in vain.  To ease the burden of reviewing the massive NPRM, this installment of the “Thermal Work Environments” series provides an overview and summary of important points.

     The effects of vibration are closely related to those of thermal conditions and noise.  Any combination of these factors can exacerbate effects that may be caused by exposure to any one in the absence of the others.
     Aspects of vibration that are directly related to the generation and transmission of sound were introduced in the “Occupational Soundscapes” series.  There are, however, ramifications of vibration that are unrelated to noise or hearing loss.  It is these non-noise-related concerns to which this standalone entry of “The Third Degree” is dedicated.  In addition to its effects on humans, the effects of vibration on equipment and structures are also explored.  Causes and methods of control are also revisited to facilitate practical management of vibration sources.