Top Tip Tuesday - Vibration

V – VIBRATION

Vibrating tools and equipment are an everyday essential for most of us to conduct our work but we all need to be aware of the hazards associated with exposure to vibration. Chronic conditions such as White finger, Hand arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) and Whole body vibration syndrome (WBV) are all serious effects of exposure to vibration over a period. Unfortunately, the symptoms of these conditions are sometimes not detected until it is too late.

How do we protect ourselves and our employees:

• Eliminate –This is not always possible but can we introduce equipment or work processes to eliminate the need for vibrating tools.
• Assess – We need to get our tools assessed for vibration and to record typical trigger times of employees. There are a number of gadgets and equipment that can be used to conduct these assessments.
• HSE – Use the resources available on the HSE website to calculate exposure limits on specific tools. https://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/vibrationcalc.htm.
• Plan – ensure we are planning our work processes so that our employees are not exceeding their daily exposure limits.
• Maintenance – ensuring our tools are regularly maintained and serviced and our tool attachments are sharp and undamaged, will reduce the vibration effect on the tool. 
• Communicate – Make sure all employees who are affected are informed of all findings of the assessments then, instructed, and regularly trained in the safe use of vibrating tools.
• Health surveillance – Regularly assessing the health of our employees using a qualified health surveillance company will ensure we catch any issues early on so that we can re-evaluate processes and keep our operatives safe.
• Regular breaks – Making sure our employees are taking regular breaks from using vibration tools.
• Gloves and warm clothing – Keeping hands and other parts of the body warm during colder periods will help to prevent symptoms from developing.

Need more help on this? Contact us as we are happy to advise and guide you.