Hand-arm vibration syndrome in a tropical environment

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Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) has not been clearly demonstrated in the tropical environment. In Malaysia, medical examination was practiced for the forestry workers, construction workers and automobile assembly workers exposed to hand arm vibration in a tropical area. Hand-arm vibration syndrome presents with predominantly neurological symptoms in the tropical environment. Deterioration in the sensory function of the hands is likely to precede the symptoms. The severity of sensory function disorders among the vibratory tool workers in the tropical environment is as bad as the temperate environment. Vascular disturbances do occur in the tropical environment but do not present clinically. In dose-response relationship, the severity of neurological symptoms and vibrotactile threshold was directly related to the vibration exposure dose in a tropical environment.