659,000 UK construction workers facing HAVS risk

Across the UK, around 300,000 employees are estimated to have advanced symptoms of HAVS and over one million users of hand-held or hand-guided power tools are at increased risk of the disease because they are exposed to HAV above the action level set by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE).

Using the latest figures from the Construction Skills Network, Reactec has identified those occupations which are most likely to use vibration equipment and, subsequently, how many employees could be at risk of developing HAVS.

The occupations identified to be as most ‘at risk’ from HAVS are as follows:

In March this year, GKN Aerospace became the latest high profile organisation to face the costly fall-out from ineffective management of employees working with vibrating tools. The company was fined a total of £26,800 and ordered to pay full costs of £8,256 after admitting four breaches of the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 between July 2005 and December 2011. 

Stewart McNaughton, health and safety consultant at Reactec, said: "The number of construction operatives using vibration tools could pose a real problem to both employers and employees if not managed effectively. It is vital that employers ensure they are effectively monitoring and managing exposure to vibration to avoid the costly consequences of over-exposure such as claims and employee absences, and also to avoid unnecessary health and safety and tool expenditure commonly associated with paper-based HAVS monitoring.”