Is there a legal vibration exposure limit in Australia?

No. Safe Work Australia's own guidance confirms there are no legislated workplace exposure standards for vibration in Australia. Safe Work Australia instead references the EU Physical Agents Directive 2002/44/EC action and limit values as non-legislated guidance — never treat them as a legal limit.

What are the hand-arm vibration guidance values?

Safe Work Australia's guidance values for hand-arm vibration (HAV) are an exposure action value (EAV) of 2.5 m/s² A(8) and an exposure limit value (ELV) of 5.0 m/s² A(8), measured per AS ISO 5349.1-2013. These are guidance values based on the EU Directive, not a legislated limit.

What are the whole-body vibration guidance values?

Safe Work Australia's guidance values for whole-body vibration (WBV) are an exposure action value (EAV) of 0.5 m/s² A(8) and an exposure limit value (ELV) of 1.15 m/s² A(8), based on the EU Physical Agents Directive 2002/44/EC. These are guidance values, not a legislated limit.

How is A(8) vibration exposure calculated?

A(8) = a_hv × √(T ÷ 8), where a_hv is the tool or task's vibration magnitude in m/s² and T is the daily trigger or exposure time in hours. For example, a tool with a magnitude of 5 m/s² used for 2 hours gives an A(8) of 2.5 m/s² — exactly the hand-arm exposure action value.

Vibration Exposure Calculator

Calculate hand-arm and whole-body vibration exposure A(8) from tool magnitude and daily trigger time, against Safe Work Australia's non-legislated guidance values.

Last verified: 26 July 2026

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Vibration Exposure Calculator

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