Strains, sprains and other physical ailments have long been recognized as a drain on construction productivity and a risk to overall worker health and safety, but there's limited agreement in the industry about how to implement sound solutions. Many safety professionals tout the need for improved jobsite ergonomics, but there are few regulations to guide the way on a national level. A wave of inspiration could come from across the Atlantic. Europe is in the midst of instituting strict new construction safety regulations that are leading equipment manufacturers to take large leaps in tool and equipment ergonomics. The European Union mandate, known as the EU Physical Agents Directive, aims to limit risks to workers. Under the directive, which was instituted in 2005, companies must limit the amount of vibration from power tools to five meters per second squared per eight-hour work period. That represents a significant drop in acceptable vibration from high-impact tools such as paving breakers. Some traditional 90-lb breakers can produce more than 20 m/s2.
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机译：长期以来，应变，扭伤和其他身体疾病被认为是建筑生产力的浪费，并威胁到整体工人的健康和安全，但是在业界，关于如何实施合理的解决方案的共识有限。许多安全专业人员宣称需要改进工作场所的人体工程学，但是很少有法规指导在全国范围内的发展。一波灵感可能来自整个大西洋。欧洲正在制定严格的新建筑安全法规，这些法规使设备制造商在工具和设备的人机工程学上取得了巨大飞跃。欧盟的任务称为“欧盟物理代理商指令”，旨在限制工人面临的风险。根据2005年制定的指令，公司必须将电动工具的振动量限制为每八小时工作时间每秒五米见方。这表示来自高冲击力工具（例如铺路破碎机）的可接受振动显着下降。一些传统的90磅破碎锤可产生20 m / s2以上的速度。
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