HAND ARM VIBRATION


HAV IT UNDER


CONTROL Simon Field, a Technical Specialist at


science-based technology company 3M, explains how to control HAV exposure levels in the workplace.


Almost two million people in the UK are exposed to hand-arm vibration (HAV), according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) yet many remain unaware of this phenomenon.


Many tools commonly used in industry can pose a vibration hazard, from hammer drills and hand-held grinders to pneumatic and electric polishers. Prolonged use of such tools can lead to serious health conditions.


The most commonly understood impact of overexposure to vibration is the vascular effect of Vibration White Finger. This is a painful and permanent condition with symptoms including finger numbness, hand tingling and bone cysts. Evidence also suggests that overexposure to HAV can cause carpal tunnel syndrome, a musculoskeletal problem that reduces the sufferer’s ability to manipulate objects.


“THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO CONTROL HAV EXPOSURE IN THE WORKPLACE.”


All this damage is irreversible, yet entirely preventable, making it crucial for employers to ensure that they have adequate measures in place to control HAV in the workplace. For this reason, the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations require employers to assess vibration risks, take measures to control them, and provide adequate training and suitable health surveillance, among other stipulations.


ASSESSING THE RISK Although all vibrating tool manufacturers are required to provide figures quantifying each tool’s vibration level, a full assessment is still vital. This is because the manufacturer’s figures may not relate to the way employees use the tool in their particular workplace.


Typically, manufacturers’ figures are generated using a standard test carried out on a flat panel with new machines. The only way to determine realistic values is to measure vibration in the real-world environment, using the actual tool, substrate and abrasive that employees will be working with.


36


Assessments can be carried out by a competent person within the company. However, the testing equipment can be expensive, so smaller businesses may wish to use an independent company. Even for larger organisations, this can provide extra peace of mind.


Whoever it is performed by, the assessment should measure each tool’s vibration level. This data can then be entered into the HSE’s vibration calculator to determine, for example, for how long each tool can be safely used. As the effects of HAV are cumulative, the HSE’s calculator gives the total length of time that a vibrating tool can be safely used for by any single person over the course of a day, even with breaks.


DETERMINING THE LEVEL OF A


CTION REQUIRED The level of activity that employers need to take depends on two different values – the exposure action value (EAV) and the exposure limit value (ELV). Both are defined by the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations. The EAV is 2.5m/ s2


5m/s2


(equal to 100 points on the HSE calculator). The ELV is (or 400 points).


These figures relate to an eight-hour period during a single working day. So, if a tool’s vibration level is less than the EAV over an eight-hour period, it can, in theory, be used for eight hours a day. If it exceeds the EAV, it cannot.


Once the EAV is surpassed, employers must implement health surveillance, along with measures aimed at reducing exposure to the lowest possible level. It is not sufficient to simply monitor the vibration levels; employers must show what they are doing to reduce them.


Employers must not allow exposure levels to exceed the ELV. If the exposure level does exceed the ELV, the operator must immediately stop using any tools likely to cause vibration. The employer must then reduce the risk from vibration to the lowest level reasonably practicable, doing likewise for the exposure level if it is above the EAV.


www.tomorrowshs.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56