The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 (Vibration Regulations 2005) have been introduced to help protect workers from risks to their health from vibration. The regulations cover both hand-arm and whole-body vibration, this guide focuses on guiding employers through their hand-arm vibration assessments.
The effects of Hand-Arm Vibration can be painful, permanent, and debilitating. They include Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS), Carpal Tunnel, Vibration White Finger and more. You can find out more about these HAVs conditions here.
The regulations introduce action and limit values for hand-arm vibration:
- Exposure action value of 2.5 m/s2 A(8) at which level employers should introduce technical and organisational measures to reduce exposure.
- Exposure limit value of 5.0 m/s2 A(8) which should not be exceeded.
Undertaking a hand-arm vibration assessment can seem daunting at first, but with our guidance and the right tools (such as the Pulsar vB2 Hand-Arm Vibration Meter – see below) you will be confident in being able to take the measurements yourselves and analysing your results.