Page 66: of Marine News Magazine (September 2013)

Professional powerboat users face an increased risk from injuries associated with the constant impacts they receive during their daily activities. It is not hard to imagine that constantly driving a rigid hull through a choppy sea will result in some uncomfortable moments, but much of the professional marine industry continues to pretend that there is no problem. The term Professional is important. If someone in their spare time wants to drive at maximum speed, exposing them to a risk of injury, then so be it. But the Professional user is not working for fun. They are out in all weathers using the boat as a tool to get them from A to B or to per- form tasks. They should be protected from harm the same as a worker in any other industry. In recent years, there has been plenty of discussion on the latest legislation that sets limits on the worker or pay- ing passengers exposure to Whole Body Vibration (WBV) and Hand Arm Vibration (HAV), which in Europe is de? ned by EU Directive 2002/44/EC. Applied to all in- dustries, including Construction, Mining and Maritime, this directive focuses on chronic conditions caused by long term exposure to vibrations which we de? ne as those that in? ltrate your bones and shake apart your cartilage. The EU directive is undeniably essential. Advocators of improving health and safety for professional marine workers used the EU directive as the driving force for the introduction of better personnel management or the use of shock mitigation equipment to reduce injuries. Having been introduced and accepted in other industries, it was deemed to be the solution.However, with the EU directive now in force it appears that the legislation could be construed as being ? awed for use in the maritime industry. The required method of calculating WBV exposure is complicated and requires sophisticated mathematics. The vibration exposure limits seem unrealistic; by trying to enforce apparently unachiev- able targets, many in the industry now oppose the law. Carl Magnus Ullman, CEO of Ullman Dynamics has recently published an article addressing the failings of the existing measuring standards. Visit www.hsbopro.com for further information. The headline is that acute injury does not come as a re- Data collection and monitoring helps measure the impact exposure of Workboat crew and passengers. By James Glover Duty of Care September 201366 MNMN Sept2013 Layout 66-81.indd 668/29/2013 5:18:50 PM