SHINING THE SPOTLIGHT ON HAND-ARM VIBRATION SYNDROME

With Spring approaching, landscaping and groundskeeping firms will be turning their attention back to outdoor maintenance. From chainsaws to hedge trimmers, blowers to disc cutters, landscapers use a range of vibrating power tools - and Bureau Veritas is highlighting the risk of Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome for those in the sector.

What you need to know about Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome

Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) is a collective term consisting of vascular, nervous, muscular and other tissue disorders of the hand, including common disorders like Vibration White Finger and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

The condition is more common than you might imagine. An estimated 300,000 employees in the UK have advanced symptoms of Vibration White Finger and over one million users of handheld or hand-guided power tools are exposed to a hand-arm vibration above the action level set by the HSE. HAVS has become the most commonly reported disease under RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases & Dangerous Occurrences Regulations), according to the Health & Safety Executive and over exposure of hands to high levels of vibration can lead to permanent disability of equipment operators.

What you need to do to achieve compliance

Under workplace health and safety regulations including the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations (CoVAWR) 2005, landscaping firms – or indeed any other company operating vibrating power tools – must take proactive steps to manage occupational vibration and achieve compliance.

This means identifying and managing their employees’ risks from occupational vibration exposure, as well as providing suitable information, instruction, and training to staff. If your organisation is failing to comply, you could be at risk of significant penalties and fines.

Support from global experts

Bureau Veritas offers a team of vibration experts, working with facilities management companies to help improve safety, productivity and efficiency on site, reducing the risk of Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome and other injuries to employees.

Our services include Hand-Arm Vibration (HAV) and Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) assessments to establish employee exposure, provision of vibration management plans, identification of tools or processes likely to induce Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome and training in vibration assessment to support monitoring on site.

We have also developed the Bureau Veritas VEMS (Vibration Exposure Management System) - managing regulatory requirements for health and safety vibration across the whole company, in one place, with automatic calculations for complete peace of mind.

For more information about our services contact the Bureau Veritas team or call us on 0345 600 1828