The HSE estimates that around two million people are at risk of vibration exposure. While the illness caused by vibration may take 5-10 years to develop, once they have developed they are irreversible.

The associated health risks include:

• White finger – when blood stops flowing to the fingers
• Nerve damage
• Bone and joint damage
• Muscle weakening
• Carpel tunnel syndrome

The effects of these illnesses are both physically and psychologically challenging. They can cause pain, itching, and loss of feeling in the hands. Many experiences the loss of fine motor skills and reduced strength and grip. This leaves them unable to use their hands as they once did.

Employers of anyone that may be exposed to vibration have a legal and moral duty to protect them from the risk. They must also protect themselves from the financial liability of claims and fines for breaches in safety law.

The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 places a legal duty on employers to protect workers from risks to health from vibration. This regulation also establishes daily exposure limits for vibration, called an exposure limit value and an exposure action value.

Under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974, and Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1998, employers are required to take a preventative approach when it comes to health and safety. They must risk assess the hazard of vibration and put in place controls to protect anyone that may be affected to a reasonably practicable level.

This HAVS training course requires

• No prior subject knowledge
• No prior course certification.

This e-learning course explores the following sections:

• What is Hand-arm Vibration?
• The Health Hazards
• What the Law Requires
• Vibration Risk Assessment
• Understanding Exposure
• Risk Control Measures
• What You Can Do

This HAVS training is intended for anyone whose work includes regular exposure to vibration tools and equipment. This includes contractors and employees who may work in:

• Engineering
• Forestry
• Maintenance
• Utilities
• Foundries
• Manufacturing
• Machinery repair
• Road work
• Estate management
• Mines and quarry work
• Utilities

Choosing Human Focus for HAVS training offers the following benefits to the trainees:

• Unlimited access via Learning Management System (LMS)
• RoSPA assured
• Can learn at your own pace, anytime and anywhere
• Informative course content
• High-quality video
• Short quizzes at the end of each section to refresh your knowledge

Format: 100% online

Course Duration: 30+ minutes in length

Trainees undertaking this course must achieve 80% to pass the end of course assessment. They are given two attempts to pass.

Trainees will earn a certificate from Human Focus assured by RoSPA after completion of this course.

• Hand-arm Vibration at Work
• General Statistics on Hand and Body Vibration
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB)
• Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005
• Hand-arm Vibration – Advice for Employers
• Providing Health Surveillance – Hand and Body Vibration

The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 establishes two levels of vibration which employers must be aware of.

The first of these is the Exposure Action Value (EAV). This is a daily amount of vibration exposure above which employers are required to take-action to control exposure. Exposure Limit Value (ELV) is the maximum amount of vibration an employee may be exposed to on any single day.

When EAV is reached, an employer must take actions such as conducting a risk assessment, providing training, and reducing vibration levels.

When ELV is reached work must stop immediately, and the employer is required to conduct a Vibration Risk Assessment, and immediately reduce vibration exposure below the ELV.

If you look at the paperwork the EAV and ELV for hand-arm vibration are as follows:

• EAV = 2.5 m/S² A(8)
• ELV = HAV is 5 m/S² A(8)

But what does this mean? The EAV and ELV are measured in metres per second squared “m/S²”  over an average “A” of an eight-hour period (8).

In the manufacturer’s documentation for equipment the vibration rate will be provided to you. So, you will know how much exposure you are getting. But it’s important to remember that these are just estimates and your actual exposure will vary based on your work and environment.

This eight-hour average is important to keep in mind, because vibration exposure is cumulative. This means that if you work on one piece of vibrating equipment for an hour and then switch to a different piece of equipment a couple of hours later, it all goes towards your total daily exposure.

The HSE provides a useful vibration calculator to help to work out how much vibration you are being exposed to on a daily basis.

Yes, vibration can be damaging to the heart. Studies have shown that regular contact to vibration can lead to high blood pressure, variations in heart rate, and changes in peripheral vascular shrinkages. There have been many risk factors for cardiovascular diseases linked with lifestyle, hypertension, cholesterol level, etc.

It has been found recently, that additional risk factors also contribute to heart diseases such as poor working environment, noise at work, inappropriate use of work equipment, or exposure to vibration.