HANDARM VIBRATION Hand arm vibration can be a

HAND-ARM VIBRATION

Hand arm vibration can be a significant health risk wherever powered hand tools are used for significant lengths of time. Hand-arm vibration (HAVS) comes from the use of hand-held power tools and is the cause of significant ill health (painful and disabling disorders of the blood vessels, nerves and joints). HAVS is preventable, but once the damage is done it is permanent.

DANGERS Damage from HAVS can include the inability to do fine work and could trigger painful finger blanching attacks. HAVS is serious and disabling, and nearly 2 million people are at risk. The costs to employees and to employers of inaction could be high. .

SYMPTOMS 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

REDUCING RISK • The long-term aim is to prevent new cases of HAVS occurring and enable workers to remain at work without disability. • The most efficient and effective way of controlling exposure to hand-arm vibration is to look for new or alternative work methods which eliminate or reduce exposure to vibration. • Health surveillance is vital to detect and respond to early signs of damage Work schedules. Implementing work schedules is another effective way of reducing the risk of HAVS by limiting the time that your employees are exposed to vibration. You could also plan work to avoid individuals being exposed to vibration for long, continuous periods – several shorter periods are preferable. And lastly where tools require continual or frequent use, introduce employee rotas to limit exposure times (you should avoid employees being exposed for periods which are long enough to put them in the high risk group.

A full copy of the councils vibration policy is available on Moniton by following the link below http: //monitor. anglesey. gov. uk/vibration-policy/106737. article Further information on a range of health and safety matters can be found on both the Health and Safety Executive website and on the Councils Monitor pages. .