Prolonged occupation exposure to a vibration source at the hands can result in a disease known as hand-arm vibration syndrome. As the condition is irreversible, all current efforts to combat this disease involve the reduction of vibration exposure through risk assessment and health surveillance of those at risk. The current standard for vibration assessment (ISO 5349) introduced a method of vibration measurement based on the placement of sensors on the tool handle, however a multitude of factors recognised within the standard exist which can affect actual vibration exposure to the individual. This study investigates the effect of one of these factors;​ operator posture, its impact on hand transmitted vibration and the relationship between the assessment method and an evaluation of the human response to that vibration. By evaluating the human response to vibration and complementing the standardised method with a wearable sensor device, the authors demonstrate the effects of posture on human vibration exposure in a typical civil engineering application and evaluate the relative significance of this phenomenon in different scenarios.