Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS)

If your employees / operatives use tools and equipment such as abrasive wheels, angle grinders, hammer drills, reciprocating saws, or similar vibratory equipment it is likely you will, as an employer, have duties under the “Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005”.

Continuous, or sometimes even short term , sporadic use if the exposure levels are high enough, of this type of equipment either to carry out certain tasks such as cutting and grinding operations or where items are held against such equipment for “finishing” processes can lead to a debilitating health issue called HAVS, which include vibration related conditions such as ”Vibration White Finger” (VWF)   “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome” (CTS) and “Dupuytren’s contracture”.

If your employees are exposed over and above the accepted levels, particularly for prolonged periods of time it is likely they will be affected and as previously mentioned the effects can be severely debilitating resulting in:

• VWF – The tips of your fingers will likely begin turning white, they might become cold and you could experience numbness or tingling. Following this your fingers may well turn blue and then flush deep red and become very painful on recovery. The effects of VWF can begin to appear months or even years after beginning use of this vibrating machinery / equipment, and episodes can last between just a couple of minutes up to half an hour or more.
• Sensory nerve damage – Early signs that you are experiencing sensory nerve damage from vibration include numbness or tingling in one or more of your fingers which may come and go, and could be mild, but severe cases can lead to permanent numbness. If you do experience severe nerve damage, you might find it difficult to complete tasks requiring a little more dexterity, such as picking up coins and tying shoe laces.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome – which is a painful nerve disorder that causes tingling, numbness and weakness in parts of the hand.
• Dupuytren’s contracture – which begins with lumps, dimples or ridges on your palm this is when one or more fingers bend.

Should any of your workers report these symptoms or have them confirmed by a medical practitioner you will then have a duty , as an employer, to report this under the RIDDOR Regulations.

What you need to do as an employer in order to discharge your duties and keep your workers safe: CARRY OUT A RISK ASSESSMENT.

• Identify all vibratory work equipment 
• Identify all those at risk
  • The above may be dependant on the tools / equipment used and for how long as well as the levels of vibration
• Consider
  • Following the general hierarchy of controls and consider if the use of the equipment can be “Eliminated” if not can the usage be reduced?
  • Replacing older equipment with newer less vibratory equipment.
  • Create a register of vibrating tools, identifying how many minutes of use would deliver the daily exposure action value of 2.5m/s2?
  • Complete the HSE  “HAVS” calculator for each individual , task and item of equipment where relevant
  • Undertake and record a specific risk assessment and proposed controls to reduce the daily exposures
  • Ensure risk control measures prevent exposure above the daily exposure limit value (ELV) of 5 m/s2  or if not revisit until the assessment meets the criteria.
  • Monitor and record employee exposure to try and ensure exposure remain at acceptable levels.
  • Train employees – educate the exposed workers in the hazards, risks, detrimental effects and the identified controls for reducing the risks to acceptable levels. Ensure you include / consult with your workers when determining what controls might be required as they have the daily experience of operating the equipment in question and may be better suited to identify appropriate / usable controls.
  • Carry out regular health screening for those at risk.

The HSE are looking to ensure that companies have adequate management systems in place and they have produced a guidance document for their inspectors entitled “Hand-arm vibration Inspection and Enforcement Guidance” It is advised that companies / employers familiarise themselves with this document. The document outlines what inspectors would be looking for in addition to the above.

It does advise inspectors that action should be taken where they identify or believe that:

• Exposure is likely to be at or above the exposure action value (EAV)
• There is evidence of vibration-related ill health, e.g. HAVS or CTS not being properly managed
• Workers / employees report signs and symptoms of HAVS