RR879 - Evaluation of EN 60745 test codes: BS EN 60745-2-1 2003 (inc. amendment no 1)
Particular requirements for drills and impact drills
The work described in this report assesses the standard test defined in BS EN 60745-2-1:2003 (incorporating amendment no. 1 [2007]) for usability and reproducibility. Drills, impact drills and diamond core drills were used in this project to fully encompass the machine scope covered by the test code. The vibration emission values obtained in accordance with the provisions of the test code were compared with vibration magnitudes measured under simulated real operating conditions.
The report concludes that the test specifications for drilling into metal and impact drilling into concrete were usable. However, the standard lacked clarity about how the machines should be used when diamond core drilling. In general, prescribed push forces seemed unnecessarily high when compared with typical push forces for drilling operations.
HSL verified the manufacturers' declared emissions for the drilling and impact drilling applications but could verify only one of the manufacturers' declared emission values for diamond core drilling.
The test code appears to have:
- good usability but poor reproducibility for drilling into metal;
- good usability and good reproducibility for impact drilling into concrete; and
- poor usability and poor reproducibility for diamond core drilling.
The test code offers potential for estimating workplace vibration and subsequent estimation of workplace vibration exposures if usability and reproducibility can be improved.
This report and the work it describes were funded by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Its contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect HSE policy.
Assistance in the use of Adobe Acrobat PDF files is available on our FAQs page.