Hand Arm Vibration Assessment

Hand-Arm Vibration

Hand-arm vibration (HAV) is a widespread disease in many industries and occupations. HAV exposure at work can arise from the use of hand-held power tools, hand-guided machinery and hand-fed machines. Prolonged and regular exposure to this vibration can affect the operator’s health. The survey in 1997-98 gave a prevalence estimate of 288 000 sufferers from vibration white finger in Great Britain (255 000 males and 33 000 females respectively). The number of new cases of Vibration White Finger assessed for Industrial Injuries Disability Benefit was 510 in 2006/07.

The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 requires all employers to have health surveillance in place where people are at risk. Health surveillance must be in place for employees who are exposed above the action value (2.5m/s A (8)) and for employees who are sensitive to vibration to minimise the risk of the disease progression.

Health Surveillance for HAVS

Health surveillance for HAVS should be carried out by competent persons and who received training in HAVS assessments. Karen Shea has completed and passed the Faculty of Occupational Medicine examination.

Health surveillance encompasses a “tiered approach”.

Tier One: Initial or baseline assessment

This comprises of a HAVS questionnaire to be completed by employees who it is proposed will commence working with vibrating tools. If the resulting questionnaire indicates a HAVS condition, this would require referral to Tier Three.

Tier Two: Annual (screening) questionnaire

In the absence of HAVS health issues being declared at Tier One, a HAVS questionnaire should be administered at twelve monthly intervals, however once every three years the employee should have a tier three assessment

Tier Three: Assessment by a qualified person.

This involves a HAVS health assessment by a suitably qualified Occupational Health professional, i.e. nurse or technician. A further questionnaire is completed by the employee at this stage which asks relevant questions regarding their medical history, social/leisure pursuits and family health issues. The person may then have some basic examinations undertaken such as Blood pressure, bilateral pulses, grip strength etc This is assessed and if the results indicate a likelihood of HAVS signs and symptoms, then a referral to an Occupational Health Physician at , Tier Four, is recommended.

Tier Four: Formal diagnosis

The employee will be seen and examined by an Occupational Health Physician. A formal diagnosis may be made at this stage, indicating the extent of the condition by “staging” under the Stockholm Workshop Scale of 0 to 3. It is at this stage, depending on the diagnosis and staging that reporting under the RIDDOR 1995 regulations will be recommended. A “Fitness for Work” recommendation will be made.

Tier Five: Use of standardised tests (optional)

The Occupational Health Physician may recommend that a referral for Objective Testing is made. This will include such things as Vibrotactile and thermal perception threshold estimation.

SheaOH Hand Arm Vibration Health Surveillance includes:

Explaining how to assess the risks in tools and showing how to reduce risk
Performing Vibration risk assessments
Providing appropriate Health Surveillance at Tier 1-5
Confidential data management and reporting, with employee consent
Worker education at time of test
Permanently retained records (40 years)
Completed COSHH report for each individual to be kept at your company to demonstrate to regulators that you are compliant with the law
Running a training courses on Hand-Arm Vibration