HSE Vibration Clampdown in progress

The Health effects of hand-arm vibration at work
What is hand-arm vibration?
Hand-arm vibration is vibration transmitted from work processes into workers' hands and arms. It can be caused by operating hand-held power tools, such as road breakers, and hand-guided equipment, such as powered lawnmowers, or by holding materials being processed by machines, such as pedestal grinders.

When is it hazardous?
Regular and frequent exposure to hand-arm vibration can lead to permanent health effects. This is most likely when contact with a vibrating tool or work process is a regular part of a person’s job. Occasional exposure is unlikely to cause ill health.

What health effects can it cause?
Hand-arm vibration can cause a range of conditions collectively known as hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS), as well as specific diseases such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

What are the early symptoms?
Identifying signs and symptoms at an early stage is important. It will allow you, as the employer, to take action to prevent the health effects from becoming serious for your employee. The symptoms include any combination of:

Tingling and numbness in the fingers;
Not being able to feel things properly;
Loss of strength in the hands;
Fingers going white (blanching) and becoming red and painful on recovery (particularly in the cold and wet, and probably only in the tips at first).
For some people, symptoms may appear after only a few months of exposure, but for others they may take a few years. They are likely to get worse with continued exposure to vibration and may become permanent.

What effects do these symptoms have?
The effects on people include:

Pain, distress and sleep disturbance;
Inability to do fine work (eg assembling small components) or everyday tasks (eg fastening buttons);
Reduced ability to work in cold or damp conditions (ie most outdoor work) which would trigger painful finger blanching attacks;
Reduced grip strength, which might affect the ability to do work safely.
These effects can severely limit the jobs an affected person is able to do, as well as many family and social activities.
Do you have a hand-arm vibration problem at work?
This will depend on whether your employees regularly and frequently work with vibrating tools and equipment and/or handle vibrating materials. It will also depend on how long your employees are exposed to vibration and at what level. As a simple guide you will probably need to do something about vibration exposures if any of the following apply:

Do your employees complain of tingling and numbness in their hands or fingers after using vibrating tools?
Do your employees hold work pieces, which vibrate while being processed by powered machinery such as pedestal grinders?
Do your employees regularly use hand-held or hand guided power tools and machines such as:
Concrete breakers, concrete pokers;
Sanders, grinders, disc cutters;
Hammer drills;
Chipping hammers;
Chainsaws, brush cutters, hedge trimmers,
Powered mowers;
Scabblers or needle guns.
Do your employees regularly operate:
Hammer action tools for more than about 15 minutes per day; or
Some rotary and other action tools for more than about one hour per day.
Do you work in an industry where exposures to vibration are particularly high, such as construction, foundries, or heavy steel fabrication/shipyards?
Which jobs and industries are most likely to involve hand-arm vibration?
Jobs requiring regular and frequent use of vibrating tools and equipment and handling of vibrating materials are found in a wide range of industries, for example:

Building and maintenance of roads and railways;
Construction;
Estate management (eg maintenance of grounds, parks, water courses, road and rail side verges);
Forestry;
Foundries;
Heavy engineering;
Manufacturing concrete products;
Mines and quarries;
Motor vehicle manufacture and repair;
Public utilities (eg water, gas, electricity, telecommunications);
Shipbuilding and repair.
What kinds of tools and equipment can cause ill health from vibration?
There are hundreds of different types of hand-held power tools and equipment which can cause ill health from vibration. Some of the more common ones are:

Chainsaws;
Concrete breakers/road breakers;
Cut-off saws (for stone etc);
Hammer drills;
Hand-held grinders;
Impact wrenches;
Jigsaws;
Needle scalers;
Pedestal grinders;
Polishers;
Power hammers and chisels;
Powered lawn mowers;
Powered sanders;
Scabblers;
Strimmers/brush cutters.

RHSS Limited PAT testing services

Visual Inspection

Firstly we carry out a visual inspection of the appliance checking:

• The Flex. We check to see it is in good condition and is free from cuts, fraying or damage
• The Plug. We check that the cable is tight and secure and that there are no signs of overheating and it is free from cracks or damage. We also check that the plug has been wired correctly and the terminal screws are tight
• Socket Outlet. Are there any signs of overheating? Is it free from cracks and damage?
• The Appliance. We check the appliance for signs of cracks and damage to the casing

Testing the Appliance

Then, subject to the appliance passing the visual inspection, we connect it to a specialist PAT Tester which checks:

1. Earth Continuity
2. Insulation Resistance
3. Polarity – Power leads only

The Results

Each appliance is then labelled appropriately with a PASS/FAIL vinyl label and the results are logged

Testing IT Equipment
Due to the delicate nature of IT equipment, a reduced current is applied to these appliances.
A visual inspection only will be carried out on servers and they will NOT be turned off

Any appliance that fails the test will be brought to your attention immediately

For your convenience, and to avoid any possible disruption
to the office, the testing can be done out of office hours
for NO extra charge

We are fully certified and insured and our
pricing structure is extremely competitive

* FREE plug replacement
* FREE fuse replacement
* FREE mains lead replacement for computers
* FREE microwave emission checks
* SAME DAY certification if required

Anyone who lets residential accommodation as a business activity is required by law to ensure that the electrical equipment they supply as part of the tenancy is safe

The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 requires that all mains electrical equipment (cookers, washing machines, fridges, kettles etc) supplied in rented accommodation must be safe

The ‘supply’ of the electrical equipment occurs at the time of the tenancy contract. It is, therefore, essential that PAT Testing is carried out prior to the start of the tenancy

A report, detailing the equipment checked, the tests carried out and the results will be sent to you for your records

We offer a special rate for landlords and agents
Please call us for details

EU orders UK to tighten asbestos laws

The European Commission has requested that the UK amend its regulations on asbestos at work because they do not comply fully with the parent EU Directive.

Delivered in the form of a reasoned opinion under EU infringement procedures, the Commission wants the UK to change provisions in its legislation that exempt some maintenance and repair activities from the application of the EU Directive on the protection of workers from asbestos.

It follows a complaint received by the Commission that Article 3(3)(a) and (b) of the asbestos Directive 2009/148/EC has not been correctly transposed into UK law. Article 3(3) offers the possibility for an exemption from three obligations set out in the Directive for activities that involve only sporadic and low-intensity exposure to asbestos – for example, in the case of some maintenance and repair activities.

However, in the Commission’s view, the UK law omits specific parts of Article 3(3)(a) and (b), and so widens the scope of the exemption. The Commission says the UK legislation focuses on the measurement of exposure to asbestos but not enough on how the material can be affected by the work involved. The Directive deals with both exposure and the material.

The UK now has two months to bring its legislation into line with EU law, or risk the matter being referred to the EU’s Court of Justice.

Commenting on the development, TUC general secretary, Brendan Barber, said: “This is another nail in the coffin of the myth that the HSE has been ‘gold-plating’ regulation. European regulations are there to protect workers, and governments should see them as being minimum standards rather than trying to weasel out of their commitments.”

Alan Ritchie, general secretary of construction-workers’ union UCATT, added: "Construction workers, especially those involved in maintenance work, are now at the greatest risk of being exposed to asbestos and developing asbestos-related diseases.

“It is essential that they are given the greatest possible training, education and protection when it comes to dealing with asbestos. UCATT’s advice is clear: if you are not a specialist, do not work with asbestos. If, at any point, you think you are working with asbestos, stop work immediately and get it checked out.”