Vibration exposure calculator

Enter each vibrating tool or item of plant and how long it is used in a day to calculate the worker’s daily exposure A(8) and exposure points against the action and limit values.

Figures checked 5 November 2026. Free to use, no sign-in.

Victoria and Western Australia have their own Acts; the tool switches to them.

Type of vibration

Tools or plant used in the day

m/s²
h
min
m/s²
h
min
m/s²
h
min

Time is trigger time: only the time the hands or body are actually exposed. Magnitudes come from measurements, the manufacturer or published data.

Daily vibration exposure

A(8)

2.60 m/s²

Above the action value

Exposure points
108
Action value
2.5 m/s²
Limit value
5 m/s²

At this magnitude the limit value is reached after 5.6 hours a day.

No Australian law sets a vibration limit. You must still manage the risk: vibration is part of a hazardous manual task (r 5 and r 60 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW)), and the primary duty in s 19 applies. The action and limit values are the benchmark Safe Work Australia uses.

  • Above the action value of 2.5 m/s². Take reasonably practicable steps to bring exposure below it, and watch for symptoms.
  • Estimate only: the guides say a calculated A(8) can be 20% above to 40% below the true value, and more when times or magnitudes are estimated. Trigger time is usually shorter than time on the job.

General information, not legal or safety advice. Australia has no legislated vibration limit.

How this works

The maths: A(8) = a × √(T ÷ 8) for each source, and √(A1(8)² + A2(8)² + …) for the day. Exposure points = 100 × (A(8) ÷ action value)², so the hand-arm limit is 400 points and the whole-body limit is 529 points. No extra adjustment is needed for long shifts.

The benchmarks: Safe Work Australia’s 2016 guides to measuring and assessing hand-arm and whole-body vibration, which use the EU Directive 2002/44/EC values. These are guidance, not law.

The law: vibration is part of a hazardous manual task under the WHS Regulations (r 5 and r 60), and of hazardous manual handling under Victoria’s OHS Regulations (r 5). The result is an estimate; a competent person can measure exposure under AS ISO 5349 or AS 2670.1.

Legal basis

Checked against these sources on 5 November 2026. Spotted a figure that looks wrong? Tell us.

Questions

Is there a legal vibration limit in Australia?

No. There is no Australian workplace exposure standard for vibration. Safe Work Australia’s guides compare exposure with the European action and limit values, and you must still manage vibration risk under your general WHS duties and the hazardous manual task rules.

What are the action and limit values?

For hand-arm vibration, an A(8) of 2.5 m/s² (action) and 5 m/s² (limit). For whole-body vibration, 0.5 m/s² and 1.15 m/s². Above the action value you should act to reduce exposure; the limit value should not be exceeded at all.

How is A(8) calculated?

For each tool, A(8) = magnitude × √(hours ÷ 8). For several tools, square each partial A(8), add them and take the square root. Exposure points convert this to a simple scale where the action value is 100 points.

Where do I get the vibration magnitude?

From measurements, the manufacturer’s declared emission or published data for similar equipment. Safe Work Australia’s guide says to use 2.5 m/s² if a hand tool’s declared value is lower, because declared values often understate real use.

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