By Russ Langthorne, Managing Director, SIXIS Technology

1. The unseen danger: why social housing organisations must act on HAVS now.
2. Avoiding the HAVS time bomb: essential steps for social housing organisations.
3. Preventing HAVS in ground maintenance: a call to action for social housing organisations.
4. HAVS: a silent threat to ground maintenance teams and social housing organisations.

In the realm of property repairs and grounds maintenance, hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) and whole body vibration (WBV) should be a critical concern. HAVS and WBV both result from prolonged exposure to vibration from tools and machinery, including lawn mowers, ride on tractors etc.

Without adequate actions this can lead to severe health issues. such as vascular, neurological and musculoskeletal disorders for grounds maintenance teams and general regular tool users who are frequently exposed to such vibrations, ensuring their protection is paramount.

The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations

The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations came into force on 6 July 2005 and aim to protect workers from risks to health from vibration. The regulations introduced two limits – action value and limit values for both hand-arm and whole-body vibration. It mandates businesses to protect workers from vibration exposure transmitted by hand contact and whole body. Whilst compliance is a legal obligation, the adverse health effects must also make it a moral obligation to safeguard employees’ health and well-being.

The imperative  of continuous monitoring

Employers must focus on managing and reducing the risks associated with vibration exposure to as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP) through effective risk assessments, buying the correct low vibration tools and ensuring staff, at all levels, are adequately trained. However, achieving this without continuous measuring and monitoring each tool and user is challenging at the very best – indeed, the latest figures produced by the HSE prove that to be the case with:

• 300 new cases of hand-arm vibration syndrome in 2022
• 150 new cases of carpal tunnel syndrome in 2022
• 200 new cases of Dupuytren’s Contracture in 2022.

Whilst traditional methods using manufacturers’ data – with added safety factors or assumed data and the   or even tool timers with their reporting platforms – may appear efficient and effective, they fall short of providing precise insights into the definitive risk areas. That lack of insight makes it difficult to create effective risk assessments and, therefore, difficult to offer the correct guidance when protecting your staff – and they’re  also costly when factoring in each person’s time to carry out the task.

Relying on ‘guesstimated’ data is clearly very challenging in preventing life-changing disabilities that may take years to manifest. The financial repercussions of failing to protect workers can be severe, with substantial fines and compensation claims. These costs could be avoided through proper management and the correct actions to achieve ALARP.

HAV monitoring with HAVSPRO

A robust solution lies in continuous measuring and monitoring systems like HAVSPRO. This technology offers a simple, accurate and very cost-effective method for measuring and monitoring individual users, tools and activities every time they use their tools. By attaching a sensor to a tool, the system measures the vibrating surface and records vibration levels for each task, providing factual and accurate data rather than estimates.

This continuous measuring and monitoring, coupled with an intuitive reporting system, allows clear identification of the specific area of exposure risk, enabling data-driven decisions to create effective risk assessments and achieve ALARP.

The HAVSPRO system’s cloud-based reporting platform facilitates accurate analysis, tracking and recording of exposure and the necessary actions, ensuring comprehensive compliance and effective safety measures are in place, quickly and simply.

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Below is a list of social housing organisation fines (£810,000 for HAVS fines):

• An investigation by the HSE found that one organisation failed to prevent or reduce its employees’ exposure to intensive and protracted vibration. Employees weren’t provided with information and training in relation to the risks of exposure to vibration, and were unaware they were at risk, or of the need for health surveillance and ways to minimise exposure using controls. Had the employees been aware, exposure could have been reduced or eliminated. It was fined £80,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,293.10*
• The investigation also found the organisation neither adequately planned its working methods nor trained or informed employees on the risks to their health. Furthermore, the organisation didn’t limit the duration and magnitude of exposure to vibration and failed to put in place suitable health surveillance to identify problems at an early stage. Fined £100,000*
• Following an investigation, the HSE said that another organisation had failed to adequately assess the risk to its staff from using vibrating tools, failed to implement measures to reduce their exposure to vibration and didn’t provide proper information and training. As well as the £30,000 fine, the landlord was ordered to pay £2,789.25 in legal costs for breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974*
• An investigation by the HSE found that a landlord had failed to assess or manage the risks associated with hand-arm vibration syndrome. It also failed to provide suitable training or health surveillance for its maintenance workers and failed to maintain and replace tools which increased vibration levels. The landlord pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safetyat Work Act 1974. The company has been fined £600,000 and ordered to pay costs of £13,995.06*

*Source Health and Safety Executive

 

Ensuring the safety of your teams from HAVS and WBV is not just a regulatory requirement but a critical aspect of workforce well-being.

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Protect your workers and your organisation by implementing effective HAV monitoring systems today.