Step 1. Know what it is and what causes it

HAVS what is it?

Condition which affects

• Nerves………………….tingling and numbness
• Circulation…………….whiteness of the fingers
• Muscles…………………difficulty in doing tasks of the hand

What causes it?

• Vibration transmitted to the hands from hand held tools e.g. road breakers, saws;
• Using hand guided equipment e.g compactors
• Holding an item which is itself being vibrated mechanically

Remember hand held vibrating tools can also cause carpel tunnel syndrome, a condition in which the nerve at the wrist is compressed.

In construction which equipment could cause harmful levels of vibration?

• concrete breakers, pokers and compactors;
• sanders, grinders and disc cutters;
• hammer drills;
• chipping hammers;
• chainsaws; and
• scrabblers or needle guns.

Step 2: Know what you can do to prevent it from the very start of the project

Design out the need for vibrating hand tools eg. for pile cap removal and scabbling.

Establish a hire and purchasing policy that gives preference to low vibration/noise emission equipment tools

Green, amber and red labels on power tools can indicated increasing vibration levels, and help to control/monitor exposure periods

If people have difficulty speaking to each other at 2 metres apart then uou may have a noise problem

Step 3: If you have to use vibrating tools decide on the likely level of exposure and risk  (Click Here)

Step 4: Tell your employees about the risk and how you intend to manage it.

Step 5: If you need to carry out health surveillance you will also need to tell them about this.

Get Started: See

See: (Click Here)

Remember you will need to involve an health professional but a trained responsible person can do some surveillance. 

The questionnaires for you to use are :

Pre-employment : Click Here

Presentation: Click Here

Annual Screening Questionnaire: Click Here