HAND-ARM VIBRATION DO THE RIGHT THING
Those using vibrating equipment regularly may be at risk of damage to nerves, blood vessels and joints of the hand, wrist and arm. Using equipment such as hand-held or hand- guided power tools for
more than a few hours each
day can increase your chances of hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS).
Back when I started working, there were no rules on rotating like there are now, we were constantly using the same vibrating machinery all day. There were no health and safety talks, no method statements and no risk assessments. In the past 20-30 years, we have made leaps forwards.
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR? Not being able to feel things with your fingers is one of the most obvious signs. Pins and needles or numbness in the fingers whilst using tools, which can often impact on your ability to sleep, are also common symptoms of HAVS.
Other things to look out for include you losing grip strength or the feeling like you’re not gripping as tightly as you could before. This is most noticeable if you begin to struggle picking up or holding heavy objects.
If, when in cold and wet environments, the tips of your fingers and palms turn white or little white spots appear on your hands, these might be an early sign of HAVS.
If you continue to use high-vibration tools, these symptoms will probably get worse. For example, the numbness in your hands could become permanent and you won’t be able to feel things at all; you will have difficulty picking up small objects such as screws or nails; the vibration white finger could happen more frequently and affect more of your fingers; and the tips of your fingers may turn black, this could lead to them being amputated to prevent the loss of your whole hand.
HOW CAN EMPLOYERS BEST PREVENT THEIR EMPLOYEES BEING EXPOSED TO VIBRATION?
While it’s impractical to entirely eradicate employees’ exposure to vibration – vibrating machinery is often an essential tool for the job – there are ways to monitor and minimise use. At 3B Training, we recommended that employers implement a number of measures to protect their employees. These include:
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https://www.employment-studies.co.uk/resource/ies-working-home-wellbeing-survey
Training: This can be from a formal provider, an informal toolbox talk or knowledge sharing. No matter how the training is delivered, it is imperative.
Health surveillance checks: Must be completed by a competent occupational physician to make sure employees haven’t got HAVS or identify early symptoms and address them if they do – you must report cases of HAVS under RIDDOR.
Invest in high-quality tools and equipment: More modern tools have clocks or alarms on to signify when to stop using them. Some even upload individual usage data to a computer for monitoring purposes.
Job rotation: Make sure people use vibrating equipment on a rotating basis so each employee gets adequate rest time and less overall usage.
Supervision: Check that the correct health and safety procedures are being followed and PPE is being worn.
The Vibration Regulations require you to make sure that risks from vibration are controlled; provide information, instruction and training to employees on the risk and the actions being taken to control risk; and provide suitable health surveillance.
https://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/regulations.htm
The exposure action and limit values are: a daily exposure action value (EAV) of 2.5 m/s2 A(8) that represents a clear risk requiring management; and a daily exposure limit value (ELV) of 5 m/s2 A(8) that represents a high risk above which employees should not be exposed.
www.3btraining.com
www.tomorrowshs.com
Lee Wilkinson, Health and Safety Trainer at 3B Training, advises on preventative methods for hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS).
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