ISO 8041-1:2017 specifies the performance specifications and tolerance limits for instruments designed to measure vibration values, for the purpose of assessing human response to vibration. It includes requirements for pattern evaluation, or validation, periodic verification and in situ checks, and the specification of vibration calibrators for in situ checks.

Vibration instruments specified in this document can be single instruments, combinations of instrumentation or computer-based acquisition and analysis systems.

Vibration instruments specified in this document are intended to measure vibration for one or more applications, such as the following:

- hand-transmitted vibration (see ISO 5349‑1);

- whole-body vibration (see ISO 2631‑1, ISO 2631‑2 and ISO 2631‑4);

- low-frequency whole-body vibration in the frequency range from 0,1 Hz to 0,5 Hz (see ISO 2631‑1).

Vibration instruments can be designed for measurement according to one or more of the frequency weightings defined within each of these applications.

Three levels of performance testing are defined in this document:

a) pattern evaluation or validation:

1. pattern evaluation, i.e. a full test of the instrument against the specifications defined in this document;
2. validation of one-off instruments, i.e. a limited set of tests of an individual vibration measuring system against the relevant specifications defined in this document;

b) periodic verification, i.e. an intermediate set of tests designed to ensure that an instrument remains within the required performance specification;

c) in situ checks, i.e. a minimum level of testing required to indicate that an instrument is likely to be functioning within the required performance specification.