Health risks to workers caused by excessive noise and vibration exposure was addressed at a recent conference organised by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).
Nearly 2 million people in the UK are at risk of developing Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) from excessive vibration exposure caused by the equipment they use at work.
Whole-body Vibration (WBV) is also a significant hazard where ride-on machinery is used regularly.
However, under-reporting of injuries and ill health is common across many industries, with many workers expressing the view that developing health issues such as HAVS are an ‘inevitable’ part of their role – often leaving the job when their hands and fingers become too painful or cannot grip.
A number of heavy fines have been imposed on local authorities and other bodies where significant numbers of workers have suffered life-changing, debilitating injuries as a result of carrying out work where noise and vibration exposure is a risk, such as grounds maintenance.
IOSH’s Rural Industries Group, working in collaboration with the IOSH Chiltern Branch, organised the conference, titled ‘Shake, rattle and roll! Managing noise and vibration in practice’, to help delegates fully understand and comply with the legal requirements on noise and hand-arm and WBV.
Alan Plom, Chair of the IOSH Rural Industries Group and a member of IOSH Chiltern Branch Committee, said:
“Around two million people are estimated to be at risk from vibration in the UK and reported cases of Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) are increasing. HAVS comes from the use of hand-held power tools and is the cause of significant ill-health, including painful and disabling disorders of the blood vessels, nerves and joints.
“We also have a long way to go to raise awareness and improve management of Whole-body Vibration (WBV) as this is seen as even more difficult to tackle.
“There is significant under-reporting of injuries and ill health across a range of industries. Many affected workers also traditionally leave their roles, accepting that HAVS is inevitable, so this could be the tip of the iceberg.
“Due to the typically high exposure levels, even relatively short durations can affect operator’s health. This is likely to include volunteers – so anyone allocating and managing the use of hand-held machines need to consider exposure to HAV and noise.”
Photo by Guilherme Cunha on Unsplash
