Continual WBVassessment.

Workboat Code Edition 3 section 22.3.4 requires ambient sea conditions and whole-body vibration to be continually assessed throughout the voyage.

Workboat Code Edition 3 section 25.4.1 requires vessels intending to operate at high speed or in a planing mode to comply with the Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Control of Vibration at Work) Regulations 2007 and MGN 436. MCA guidance identifies ISO 2631-1 as an appropriate method for measuring and evaluating exposure.

The Regulations set an eight-hour daily WBV exposure action value (EAV) of 0.5 m/s² A(8) and an exposure limit value (ELV) of 1.15 m/s² A(8).

Impact records remain useful, but they do not calculate a person's WBV exposure. VIMMS keeps impact and frequency-weighted exposure evidence separate, helping managers assess both forms of risk and document the operational response.

• Continual voyage assessment
• Complies with ISO 2631-1
• Real-time feedback
• Automatic alerts

Whole-body vibration monitoring and impact monitoring are not the same. They are related, but they are not interchangeable.

They are related, but they are not interchangeable. VIMMS retains both so an operator can understand individual shocks and the exposure accumulating throughout the shift.

Workboat Code 3 requires assessment of WBV exposure.

The value of WBV data is not the number alone, but the decision it supports. VIMMS shows when exposure approaches the action or limit value and preserves the operational context needed to investigate the cause.

Managers can use that evidence to adjust routes, speed, working patterns, seating or training, then compare later voyages to confirm whether the controls reduced exposure.

Above the action value, introduce proportionate controls and monitor their effectiveness. If above the exposure limit, immediate action must be taken, followed by further assessment.

VIMMS combines live helm feedback with time-synchronised WBV, impacts, speed, position, vessel motion and seat measurements. That context helps teams see not only that exposure occurred, but when, where and under which operating conditions.

MCA small-vessel guidance recognises the value of suitable accelerometers, real-time displays and historical data for operational decisions. Measurement should be selected and interpreted by competent people, and VIMMS should form part of—not replace—the wider risk-management process.

• Live feedback while speed or course can change
• A(8), RMS and VDV with journey context
• Separate impact and continuous-vibration records
• Evidence for route, seat, training and fleet review