HAND ARM VIBRATION
IT’S IN YOUR HANDS
Steve Giblin, Group HSSEQ Director of Speedy Services explains how simple tactics can help you mitigate the risk of injury and subsequent fines caused by HAVS.
In October of this year, Wrexham Council was fined some £150,000 after it admitted to failing to ensure that workers using machinery such as lawn mowers, strimmers and leaf blowers were not affected by hand- arm vibration syndrome (HAVS).
This is a completely unnecessary financial hardship for the council because – as the prosecuting barrister pointed out – had it followed its own policies compiled in 2004, 2006 and 2011, it would have done a good job of protecting its workers. This is because HAVS syndrome is easily prevented by proper risk assessment and careful planning.
And, even more gravely, this case has revealed the completely unnecessary suffering now endured by the council’s StreetScene team, with around 12 current and former employees now diagnosed with HAVS or its close bedfellow Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and experiencing debilitating symptoms such as pins and needles, loss of sensation and pain.
Sadly, they are far from alone; the HSE estimates that 300,000 workers already suffer from HAVS. The good news, however, is that HAVS is by no means inevitable, and with careful planning it is possible to get the job done, without compromising worker safety by following three simple steps.
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IS IT NECESSARY? The first question to ask is whether this job really needs to be completed using vibrating equipment. No level of vibration is safe so, where practical, static kit should be deployed instead. Where this isn’t possible, the next best thing is to assess where simple workarounds can help mitigate the effects of vibration. For example, when completing excavation work, a breaker attachment on an excavator can work just as well as a hand held breaker without carrying the same level of vibration risk.
SELECT EQUIPMENT WISELY Carefully selecting tools is one of the most effective ways of mitigating HAVS risk. Of course, low vibration tools, and anti-vibration accessories are one way of tackling the issue. However, counter intuitively, a machine with higher vibration levels that can do the job in half the time may actually sometimes be a better option. And it’s not just the kit used, but the condition it is in. Poorly-maintained equipment significantly increases the risks because it is inefficient, and therefore will prolong the job and the exposure time to vibration. It will also often mean having to grip a tool more tightly in order to apply greater pressure, which again, will increase the risk of HAVS.
TRAINING Some of the equipment that can inflict HAVS on users, such as leaf
blowers or floor polishers, can seem rather benign. As damage will emerge over time, many workers have no idea of the risks of sustained exposure to vibrating machinery. So it is employers’ responsibility to tell them and to make them aware of how to manage the risks i.e. why exposure must be minimised and usage time monitored using a piece of equipment such as the HAVWEAR wrist watch, which displays HAVS exposure in real time and alerts the user when certain thresholds have been exceeded.
Training can also help workers develop the right technique for working with vibrating machinery. Even slight tweaks to technique, such as using a light but firm grip, rather than a tight hold, can make a difference. It should also incorporate simple steps that workers can take to protect themselves such as monitoring the temperature of where they are working, as cold weather can inhibit blood circulation and worsen the impact of vibration, and exercising fingers during work breaks in order to keep circulation going.
HAVS is a serious condition and as Wrexham Council and its workers found out, can be life-changing. However, the risks are known and easily mitigated. With the right risk assessment, tool selection and training, future suffering need not be the price of simply doing your job.
www.speedyservices.com www.tomorrowshs.com
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