Managing the risk of vibration

David Lummis looks at the dangers to health of contracting Hand Arm Vibration
Syndrome (HAVS) and Whole Body Vibration Syndrome (WBVS), and what can be
done to monitor and minimise the risks of damage

There is increasing awareness of the dangers to health of
contracting Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS)
and the debilitating effect this can have on workers.

The EEC directive (2002/44/EC) limits the intake of daily
vibration by employees and failing to adhere to this has
proved very costly in a number of recent cases where
employees have been severely affected by HAVS.

With over five million people in the UK alone exposed to
vibration on a regular basis – and of these it is estimated that in
excess of two million are sufficiently exposed to seriously risk
contracting HAVS – it is important
for the protection of employees, as
well as employers, to find a way to
minimise the risks.

Hand arm vibration is transmitted
into the hands and arms of power
equipment users. Exposure to hand
arm vibration over a period of time
can lead to potentially disabling
health problems as it affects the
nerves, blood vessels, muscles and
joints. Most concerning is the way
that HAVS can build up slowly and
increase in severity over months and
possibly years. The early symptoms
can be as little as tingling and slight
numbness in the fingers, then
potentially loss of strength in cold or
wet conditions, which is very painful.

Continued usage of vibrating power
tools can lead to permanently numb
hands and not being able to grip or
pick anything up – ultimately leaving
the employee with a disabling
condition.

Recent litigation in the UK has
resulted in the largest payment to date of £262,000 to a
government employee as well as several major PLCs having been
liable for five-figure sums. However, Whole Body Vibration
Syndrome (WBVS) has received considerably less publicity than
HAVS in the UK (although it is growing quickly in the USA) but
can be equally debilitating, with substantial numbers of man days
lost as a result of back/spinal injuries. The legislation covering
WBVS is exactly the same as that for HAVS.

Employees in industries such as construction, quarrying,
agriculture, transport and maritime are likely to be most affected.

Any vehicle regularly being driven across rough terrain together
with vehicles such as dumper trucks, forklifts, tractors and earth
moving machinery will be transmitting vibration to their
operators through their feet or from the seat inside the vehicle. In
the short term this can lead to symptoms such as fatigue,
insomnia, headaches, lumbago and shaking but, over the longer
term, can result in more serious
permanent harm to internal organs,
muscles, joints and bone structure.

It is therefore vital that control
measures are in place to both monitor
HAVS/WBVS and to control their
exposure to minimise the risks of
damage. An increasing number of
management tools have come to
market. These measure the likely
exposure of workers to vibration
during the day and indicate when the
recommended daily exposure limit
has been reached. These include the
Curo from Curotec International,
which has the flexibility to encompass
either HAVS or WBVS, and the HAVI
from Havi and the HAVMETER from
Reactec, both of which focus on
HAVS only. Costs vary dramatically
between the systems and it is
important to understand the
capabilities and limitations of each.

The downloading of information is
also important to maintain control
records to ensure you and your
employees are properly protected.

Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome and Whole Body Vibration
Syndrome must be of major concern to all employers of staff using
equipment that will transmit vibrations to the user. With modern
techniques there is no excuse for ignoring this increasingly high
profile problem and the latest management tools will help ensure
you can control the exposure and avoid harming your workers.

Without control, recent cases have shown the results can be very
costly to the employer and debilitating to the employee.