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Hand-arm vibration is vibration transmitted from work processes into workers hands and arms.
It can be caused by operating hand-held power tools such as angle grinders, masonry drills, breakers and powered chisels, plus vibrating pokers used in concrete formwork, hand-guided equipment or simply by holding materials being processed by machines.
When is it hazardous?
Regular and frequent exposure to hand-arm vibration can lead to permanent and debilitating health effects, this is most likely when contact with a vibrating tool or work process is a regular part of a person’s job.
What health effects can it cause?
Hand-arm vibration can cause a range of conditions collectively known as hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) as well as specific diseases such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
Identifying signs and symptoms at an early stage is very important. It will allow you, the employer, to take action to prevent the health effects from becoming serious for your employee.
Symptoms include combinations of:
¦ tingling and numbness in the fingers
¦ not being able to feel or touch properly
¦ loss of strength in the hands
¦ fingers going white and becoming red and painful on recovery.
The Control of Vibration Regulations includes an exposure action value (EAV) and an exposure limit value (ELV) both are based on a combination of the vibration magnitude or level, at the hand grip point on the power tool or equipment and the exposure time spent gripping it.
The exposure action and limit values are:
¦ a daily EAV of 2.5 m/s2 A(8) that represents a clear risk to employees, requiring management and control.
¦ a daily ELV of 5 m/s2 A(8) that represents a high risk to which employees should not be exposed.
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