Overview
EN ISO 13090-1:1998 - Mechanical vibration and shock - Guidance on safety aspects of tests and experiments with people - Part 1: Exposure to whole-body mechanical vibration and repeated shock (CEN adoption of ISO 13090-1:1998) provides safety guidance for laboratory tests and experiments that intentionally expose human subjects to whole‑body mechanical vibration and repeated shock. The standard aims to reduce the risk of injury or impaired health from exposure, and to address hazards arising from equipment malfunction, improper procedures or unsuitable subjects.
Key topics and requirements
- Risk-based classification of experiments into minimal-risk and higher-risk categories, determining whether a physician must be on‑call or in attendance.
- Measurement and characterisation of exposure: vibration measured at the interface with the subject, in three orthogonal axes; frequency band addressed is 0.5 Hz to 80 Hz; use of r.m.s. acceleration and frequency weightings per ISO 2631‑1.
- Hazard controls for inherent and extraneous risks:
- Avoiding excessive magnitude or duration of vibration and shock.
- Designing equipment so malfunction or emergency stops do not expose subjects to hazardous accelerations.
- Testing equipment under simulated fault conditions (see Annex E for guidance).
- Laboratory practice and procedures:
- Trained operator with visual or other contact with the subject; observer(s) as needed.
- Defined start‑up, pre‑trial checks and emergency procedures; rehearsal without a human subject.
- Presence of first‑aid trained personnel and means to contact emergency services.
- Human subject protections:
- Ethical Committee (Human Use Committee) review and approval of protocols (Annex F).
- Guidance on subject selection, medical contraindications and consent (Annexes B, C, D).
- Principles for the use of human subjects and example consent forms.
- Design considerations: Annex E offers guidance on equipment design to minimise risk and unintended motions.
Practical applications
- Laboratory experiments to evaluate human response to whole‑body vibration and repeated shock.
- Comparative testing of seat suspensions, cushions and other attenuation devices (e.g., tests referenced to ISO 10326‑1).
- Safety protocols for simulators and motion platforms used in transportation, ergonomics and human factors research.
- Preparation of ethical submissions and medical screening for research involving vibration exposure.
Who should use this standard
- Test laboratories and researchers in biomechanics, ergonomics and human factors.
- Equipment designers and manufacturers of vibration/shock test rigs, vehicle seats and attenuation systems.
- Institutional Ethical Committees, occupational health professionals and physicians supervising human‑subject experiments.
- Safety managers and compliance officers involved in experimental design and risk assessment.
Related standards
Normative references include:
Keywords: EN ISO 13090-1, whole-body vibration, repeated shock, mechanical vibration safety, human subjects testing, laboratory procedures, ethical committee, vibration measurement.
