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The information on this page is aimed mainly
at workers who work with vibrating
machinery or hand held power tools...
- You could be risking damage to nerves, blood
vessels and joints of the hand, wrist and
arm if you work regularly with hand-held or
hand-guided power tools for more than a few
hours each day.
- Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) caused
by exposure to vibration at work is preventable,
but once the damage is done it is permanent.
- The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations
2005 were introduced to better protect workers
from vibration at work and came into force
in July 2005.
Am I at risk?
You are at risk if you regularly use hand-held
or handguided power tools and machines such
as:
- Concrete breakers, concrete pokers;
- Sanders, grinders, disc cutters;
- Hammer drills;
- Chipping hammers;
- Chainsaws, brush cutters, hedge trimmers,
- Powered mowers;
- Scabblers or needle guns.
You are also at risk if you hold workpieces,
which vibrate while being processed by powered
machinery such as pedestal grinders. You are
particularly at risk if you regularly operate:
- Hammer action tools for more than about
15 minutes per day; or
- Some rotary and other action tools for more
than about one hour per day. As you are likely
to be above the exposure action value set
out in the regulations.
What are the early signs and symptoms to look
out for?
- Tingling and numbness in the fingers (which
can cause sleep disturbance).
- Not being able to feel things with your
fingers.
- Loss of strength in your hands (you may
be less able to pick up or hold heavy objects).
- In the cold and wet, the tips of your fingers
going white then red and being painful on
recovery (vibration white finger).
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
Contains public sector information published
by the Health and Safety Executive and licensed
under the Open Government Licence v1.0. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/
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Whole Body Vibration
Employers have to take action to prevent risk
from exposure to vibration. They need to consider
whether there are other ways or machines that
would eliminate the exposure to the vibration,
especially where large shocks and jolts are
involved. If this isn’t possible the
exposure should be reduced to as low a level
as is reasonably practicable. This includes:
- introducing control measures whenever your
employees' daily exposure to vibration
is likely to exceed the exposure action value,
and
- not exposing your employees above the exposure
limit value.
Risk is likely to be low for exposures at
or just above the exposure action value while
exposures closer to the exposure limit value
will need more control.
Some controls may take time to put in place,
particularly where machines must be replaced
or new ways of doing things have to be developed.
This would normally require an action plan.
The plan should state clearly which managers,
supervisors and employees are responsible for
its delivery and by when. It should also include
the need to test the controls.
The general principles of preventing Whole-body
vibration
If employers comply with the Control of Vibration
at Work Regulations 2005 and follow HSE’s
guidance, it will help them manage the risk
of back pain resulting from Whole-Body Vibration.
Also some of the requirements may be relatively
straightforward and easy to implement, e.g.
filling in potholes on unmade roads.
These include:
- avoiding risks;
- evaluating the risks which cannot be avoided;
- combating the risks at source;
- adapting the work to the individual, especially
with regards to the design of workplaces,
the choice of work equipment and the choice
of
working methods;
adapting to technical progress;
- replacing any dangerous vehicles with non-dangerous
vehicles;
- developing a prevention policy which covers
technology, organisation of work, working
conditions and the influence of factors relating
to the
working environment;
- giving appropriate instructions to employees.
Control measures
These include:
- introducing working methods which eliminate
or reduce exposure, e.g. minimising the
transport of goods or materials or to replace
manned
with unmanned machines such as remotely
controlled conveyors;
- choosing work equipment of appropriate
ergonomic design, i.e. the choice of vehicle
can be an
important means of reducing exposure to
vibration, through:
- the difference in vibration emissions of
the vehicle itself (although this needs to
be considered
alongside choosing the most appropriate
vehicle for the task);
- visibility should be such that the machine
can be operated without stretching and
twisting;
- it should be easy to get in and out of
the machine by using handholds and footholds
so
that the temptation to climb or jump is
minimised;
- access to manually loaded areas should
be unimpeded by the machinery structure and
involve
minimal lifting, and
- if the machine cab is the sole workplace
of the machine operator, including break
time,
it should have sufficient space and facilities
for rest periods.
- considering the choice of seat (including
suspension seats) and the choice of tyres,
and
- regular maintenance of vehicles (including
their seats and suspension) and maintenance
of unmade roads and ground conditions throughout
sites to suit the machines that use them
will greatly reduce shocks and jolts.
- designing the layout of workplace sites
to reduce the need to transport materials,
and
so reduce the WBV exposure of drivers/operators;
- providing suitable and sufficient information
and training for employees;
- limiting the duration and magnitude of
exposure - when all reasonably practicable
steps have
been taken to reduce the vibration magnitude,
and taking account of the fact that there
is no personal protective equipment available
for WBV, the final resort for compliance
with
the exposure limit value is to limit the
duration of exposure;
- ensuring the work schedules have adequate
rest periods - a recommended precautionary
measure is to take a short break between
operating mobile machinery and manual handling
of materials,
to give tired muscles time to recover before
handling heavy loads,
- protecting employees from cold and damp
- cold exposure may accelerate the onset
or worsen
the severity of back pain. It is good practice
to ensure that those working in the cold
are provided with warm, and (if necessary)
waterproof
clothing.
- reducing exposure below the exposure limit
value - you must not permit an employee
to be exposed above the exposure limit value.
Your programme of measures must be designed
to prevent this level of exposure. If you
find
the exposure limit value is being exceeded,
you must immediately take action to reduce
exposure and to identify the reason for
overexposure.
The exposure limit
Employers should not consider reduction below
the exposure limit value to be a target – you
must reduce exposure as low as you reasonably
can. This may mean reducing the time for which
the employee uses the machine each day, e.g.
spreading that particular task over several
days or sharing it between two or more employees
(job rotation).
Occasional exposures above the exposure limit
value (weekly averaging of exposure)
On very limited occasions, employers are allowed
to average exposures over a week rather than
over a day, but only in particular circumstances.
This is primarily designed for where workers
exceptionally need to carry out work causing
uncommonly high vibration exposure in a single
day, e.g. for emergency work. The main conditions
are:
- that the person's exposure is usually below
the exposure action value;
- that the risk is less than if the employee
were exposed at the exposure limit value
for the week.
This flexibility does not remove the duty
on the employer to reduce the exposure so far
as is reasonably practicable.
Employees whose health is likely to be particularly
at risk
Extra care will be needed to ensure that the
exposure of those who are particularly sensitive
to WBV is kept to a minimum, that they are
given and take account of adequate information,
instruction and training, and that symptoms
of back pain are monitored.
Contains public sector information published
by the Health and Safety Executive and licensed
under the Open Government Licence v1.0. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/
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