Tips on managing Hand Arm Vibration

In this video, Finch names some top tips for managing hard-arm vibration in the workplace including eliminating and reducing exposure, training employees and how there is no effective PPE.

To assist in your process of managing hand-arm vibration in the workplace you should :

Understand the risks:

You need to know where there are risks from vibration in the business, and why, and identify priority areas for action.

You should meet the legal limit:

You need to ensure no employee is exposed above the legal limit for hand-arm vibration. However, remember that there is still a risk at lower exposure levels.

You should eliminate and reduce the exposure:

Where necessary and even if the legal limit is not exceeded, you need to put steps in place or develop a plan to make sure you eliminate vibration exposure or reduce it so far as you can. For example, you should try to design out the problem: if not possible then do the work a different way; select better-vibrating tools where their use is unavoidable and maintain the tools and manage the extent to which they are used.

You need to review things:

You ought to put a system in place to identify new or emerging vibration risks in your business and new solutions or good practices. Are your practices on elimination or reduction of exposure under review as technology and good practice in your industry changes? Do you ensure that systems and working methods are followed in practice?

You need to train your employees:

Employees should be trained in your systems of work, the proper use of tools and machines, and the signs and symptoms of the vibration-related disease.

You shouldn’t needlessly monitor exposure:

Continuous monitoring or recording of vibration exposure, whether with paper systems or electronic devices, is not a legal requirement and is generally not helpful.

You should check your employees’ health:

You should provide appropriate health surveillance for people at risk of vibration-related disease. Your system should include details of how you will manage any ill health in employees.

Remember there is no effective PPE:

In relation to HAVS, no glove can be relied upon to reduce vibration exposure.

It is also really important to keep good records of actions taken in the past or planned for the future to control the risks from hand-arm vibration. Often an employer may develop good policies and procedures for managing risks from vibration, but fail to keep records that provide evidence that such policies were applied effectively or that procedures were followed.

If you would like further information on how to simply and cost-effectively manage vibration at work risks, then please contact Finch Consulting and we‘ll get back to you as soon as possible.