Diseases caused by vibrations exceeding limits rank among the most frequently reported occupational diseases in our country in long-term perspective. In 2002, they formed 16.3 % of all new diagnosed occupational diseases. For the first time, the disease was described in foreign scientific literature in 1911, whereas the first publication on the topic in our country occurred in 1929. In brief review, authors present the definition of vibrations, their physical characteristic, measurement, evaluation and review of working sites and occupations at risk. More space is devoted to the international terminology and characteristics of the most common classification of diseases with the presentation of basic differences from our evaluation. The particular chapters are devoted to the relationship between the disease and the duration of exposure in selected professions and to the protection of the exposed workers from the point of view of technical and health prevention, incl. analysis of possibilities and limitations in the field of protection and prevention. In discussion, authors focused on some particular problems of evaluation of professional contribution, which are consequences of recent legislative changes. They warn of insufficient protection of the patient against nonstandard behaviour of some employers, which is responsible for the development of the occupational disease. The authors prepared their contribution on the basis of long-term experience with the evaluation of the disease from vibration in the biggest industrial region in the Czech Republic. They would welcome widespread field discussion on the presented topic from the point of view of prevention, diagnostic procedures and ethical problems.

        Key words: characteristic of vibrations, disease from vibration, duration of exposure, prevention of disease from vibration