Controlling vibration

Do I need advice from outside the company to help me manage risk from vibration?

You should be able to establish what you need to do to control the risk from hand-arm vibration by following HSE's guidance book L140 (Hand-arm vibration: The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005)

You will need to know:

  • Who in your workplace is likely to be at risk[61] from vibration;
  • What processes need careful management to avoid vibration injury;
  • What tools need careful management to avoid vibration injury;
  • What good practice[62] control of vibration risks should look like in your industry;
  • What vibration information should be available from tool suppliers[63];
  • The strengths and weaknesses of vibration information[64] from your suppliers;
  • The sources of other useful vibration information;
  • How to manage risk from combinations of tools;
  • What information,instruction and training[65] to provide to your employees; and

To ensure your actions have met the minimum legal standard for protection against vibration injury you will also need to know:

You should have contracted appropriate health surveillance to check that risks from vibration are under control.

If you find that you are having difficulty with any of the above points you should seek help.

Who you call for advice will depend on the problems you are experiencing.

Sources of help

Your industry trade association may be able to help find alternative processes that avoid or greatly reduce the need for powered handtools.

A better supplier may provide information to help estimate vibration exposures and plan for minimum exposure to vibration from powered hand tools.

If you are finding it difficult applying HSE's guidance to your circumstances you are likely to find it helpful to engage a vibration consultant.

An appropriate system of health surveillance will need the services of an occupational health practitioner with qualifications and experience in clinical assessment of hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). You will need to contract a quality health surveillance provider unless you already have suitably qualified occupational physicians on your staff.

The following questions should help you find:

  • Good providers of advice on control of vibration (including measurement where necessary),
  • Good suppliers of powered hand tools, and providers of quality health surveillance

Other current questions on controlling vibration

Is 2.5 m/s2 A(8), the exposure action value mentioned in the regulations, a safe level of exposure?

No, as noted in paragraph 104 of L140, 2.5 m/s2 A(8) is not a safe level of exposure.  People more susceptible to vibration injury will show symptoms of hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) if they are exposed at around the exposure action value for several years.  However, most people exposed at about the exposure action value can complete a working lifetime without showing symptoms.

 

There are no known cases of hand-arm vibration syndrome where daily exposures have been less than 1 m/s2 A(8).

 

For more information see the Annex to BS EN ISO 5349-1:2001.

 

Remember, the regulations require that the risk from vibration is reduced so far as is reasonably practicable.  This is a requirement regardless of vibration exposure.

How important is the choice of consumable?

There are some tools where the vibration emission changes significantly with choice of consumable, eg drill bit. For other tools the choice of consumable is unlikely to influence vibration emission. Your supplier should be able to tell you how important the choice consumable is for minimising the vibration emission.

Manufacturers can only be expected to provide vibration information for the consumables they recommend. If you use consumables other than those recommended by the manufacturer you will need to assess the consequence for vibration exposures.

The choice of consumable can make the difference between exposures being above as low as is reasonably practicable or not.

The choice of consumable can make the difference between being above or below the exposure limit value (ELV).

If you find that you are having difficulty with any of the above points you should seek help. Who you call for advice will depend on the problems you are experiencing.

Link URLs in this page

  1. Vibrationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/index.htm
  2. Hand arm vibrationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/index.htm
  3. About this websitehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/about.htm
  4. Key messageshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/keymessages.htm
  5. Worried about your handshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/yourhands.htm
  6. Overview - Advice for employershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/advicetoemployers/index.htm
  7. Employers responsibilitieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/advicetoemployers/responsibilities.htm
  8. Assess riskhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/advicetoemployers/assessrisks.htm
  9. Overview - How to protect workershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/advicetoemployers/protect.htm
  10. Control riskhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/advicetoemployers/controlrisks.htm
  11. Information and traininghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/advicetoemployers/information.htm
  12. Health surveillancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/advicetoemployers/healthsurveillance.htm
  13. Overview - Good practicehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/index.htm
  14. Overview - Foundrieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/foundries/index.htm
  15. Eliminate fettling by improving casting qualityhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/foundries/fettlingelimination.htm
  16. Machining as a substitute for fettlinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/foundries/machining.htm
  17. Automatic fettlinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/foundries/automaticfettling.htm
  18. Jig-mounting of grindershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/foundries/jigmounting.htm
  19. Semi-automatic cut off machinehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/foundries/cutoffmachine.htm
  20. Isolated casting cut offhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/foundries/isolatedcasting.htm
  21. Installation of hydraulic cropping machinehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/foundries/hydrauliccropping.htm
  22. Shell knockout 1https://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/foundries/castingshell.htm
  23. Shell knockout 2https://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/foundries/contactcastingshell.htm
  24. Hydraulic pushouthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/foundries/furnaceliningremoval.htm
  25. Ladle slag chippinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/foundries/chippingslag.htm
  26. Overview - Constructionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/construction/index.htm
  27. Preparing a code of practicehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/construction/tunnelling.htm
  28. Construction Industry Council guidancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/construction/cicguidance.htm
  29. Mounted breakerhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/construction/mountedroadbreaker.htm
  30. Directional drillinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/construction/directionaldrilling.htm
  31. Crushing concretehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/construction/crushingconcrete.htm
  32. Bursting concretehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/construction/burstingconcrete.htm
  33. Diamond wire cuttinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/construction/diamondwire.htm
  34. Water jettinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/construction/waterjetting.htm
  35. Codes of Practice from the Water Jetting Associationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/construction/codeofpractice.htm
  36. Grit blastinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/construction/gritblasting.htm
  37. Paint-on retarderhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/construction/paintonmaterial.htm
  38. Special formworkhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/construction/specialformwork.htm
  39. Overview - Steel fabricationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/fabrication/index.htm
  40. Machininghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/fabrication/cncmachining.htm
  41. Laser cuttinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/fabrication/lasercutter.htm
  42. Plasma cuttinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/fabrication/plasmacutting.htm
  43. Noise reduction in the ship repair industry – research report 1992https://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/fabrication/noisereduction.htm
  44. Abrasive blastershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/fabrication/abrasiveblasters.htm
  45. Overview - Regulationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/regulations.htm
  46. Inspector briefinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/inspectorbriefing.htm
  47. Overview - Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/information.htm
  48. Publicationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/publications.htm
  49. Researchhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/research.htm
  50. Statisticshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/statistics.htm
  51. Useful linkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/links.htm
  52. Vibration calculatorhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/calculator-guide.htm
  53. Overview - Case studieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/casestudies/index.htm
  54. (HAVS) in two motor companieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/casestudies/enforceex.htm
  55. Monitoring exposure to Hand-Arm Vibrationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/casestudies/mhav-carlwest.htm
  56. Overview - Supply project eventshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/project-events.htm
  57. Controlling vibrationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/controlling-vibration.htm
  58. Q & A on hand toolshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/hand-tools-qa.htm
  59. Q & A on using a vibration consultanthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/qa-consultant.htm
  60. Q & A on health surveillancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/qa-surveillance.htm
  61. riskhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/advicetoemployers/assessrisks.htm
  62. good practicehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/campaign/index.htm
  63. tool suppliershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/advicetoemployers/assessrisks.htm
  64. vibration informationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/advicetoemployers/assessrisks.htm
  65. information,instruction and traininghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/advicetoemployers/information.htm
  66. action and limit valueshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/advicetoemployers/responsibilities.htm
  67. Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005https://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/regulations.htm
  68. Publicationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/publications.htm
  69. Vibration calculatorhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/calculator-guide.htm
  70. Advice for employershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/advicetoemployers/index.htm
  71. Regulationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/regulations.htm
  72. Constructionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/index.htm
  73. MSD - Back painhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/backpain/index.htm
  74. Noisehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/noise/index.htm
  75. Quarrieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/quarries/index.htm
  76. Agriculturehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/index.htm

Is this page useful?

2024-02-09