Hand-arm vibration in Great Britain

This summary presents statistics based on annual new assessments for IIDB up to and including year 2023.

215 New cases of Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome in 2023

Source:IIDB

115 New cases of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in 2023

Source:IIDB

120 New cases of Dupuytren’s Contracture in 20231

Source:IIDB

Year Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
2010 1210 475
2011 840 425
2012 635 295
2013 580 265
2014 610 220
2015 635 260
2016 455 240
2017 270 145
2018 180 145
2019 205 135
2020* 80 40
2021* 300 165
2022 300 150
2023 215 120

Source: Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB)

The majority of annual new IIDB cases of Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and Dupuytren’s Contracture in Great Britain have been among men.

This is likely to reflect smaller numbers of women having worked in jobs that meet the eligibility criteria for these conditions.

  • There were 10 new cases of HAVS among women out of a total of 3,245 cases during 2014-23.
  • There were 90 new cases of CTS among women out of a total of 1,625 cases during 2014-23.
  • There were 5 new cases of Dupuytren’s Contracture among women out of a total of 640 cases during 2020-23.

More information on hand-arm vibration in Great Britain

Exposure to vibration at work through the use of hand-held, hand-fed or hand-guided power tools or machines can cause Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS), Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) and Dupuytren’s Contracture. Dupuytren’s contracture was first prescribed for IIDB in 2020.

Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome is made up of three components: vascular effects (also known as Vibration White Finger), sensorineural effects (numbness and tingling) and musculoskeletal effects (loss of grip strength, bone and joint disorders).

Our main source of information on the number of people developing these conditions is the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit scheme (IIDB). The numbers presented for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome include cases caused by repetitive movement of the wrist as well as cases caused by vibration. It is not possible to separate out the vibration-related cases of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

There is limited information available on work-related hand-arm vibration. The IIDB scheme is HSE’s preferred data source, but annual incidence will tend to be underestimated for a number of reasons, including:

  • Cases arising from circumstances other than those covered by the terms of the prescription;
  • Individuals being unaware of the possible occupational origin of their disease;
  • A lack of knowledge regarding the availability of compensation; and
  • The scheme not including self-employed workers.

More information on the strengths and limitations of IIDB as a data source is available on the HSE statistics website.

More information:

Notes

  1. Dupuytren’s contracture of the hand was first prescribed for IIDB in 2020. Back
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Updated 2024-11-19