ISO 7919-5:2005 gives guidelines for applying evaluation criteria for shaft vibration measured at, or close to, the bearings of machines or machine sets in hydraulic power generating and pumping plants under normal operating conditions. These guidelines are presented in terms of both steady-state running vibration and any amplitude changes that can occur in these steady vibration values.

ISO 7919-5:2005 is applicable to machines or machine sets in hydraulic power generating and pumping plants where the hydraulic machines have speeds from 60 r/min to 1800 r/min, shell- or shoe-type sleeve bearings, and main engine power of at least 1 MW. The position of the shaft line can be vertical, horizontal or at an arbitrary angle between these two directions.

Machine sets covered by ISO 7919-5:2005 include a combination of hydraulic turbines and generators, pumps and electrical machines operating as motors, pump-turbines and motor-generators, and hydraulic turbines, pumps and motor-generators (classic pump-storage machine sets), including auxiliary equipment (e.g. starting turbines or exciters lying in the shaft line).

ISO 7919-5:2005 is also applicable to turbines or pumps connected to generators or electrical motors via gears and/or radially flexible couplings.

It is not applicable to pumps in thermal power plants or industrial installations, hydraulic machines or machine sets having rolling element bearings, or hydraulic machines with water-lubricated bearings.