5. Make sta welfare a priority: Ensuring that sta have suitable clothing and welfare options, such as GAP’s AutoHybrid Welfare Units, is essential for keeping sta warm and dry. Cold, wet hands is the primary defining danger for an operator for the onset of HAVS. When the body and limbs get cold, blood is diverted to the core to heat vital organs, resulting in a loss of temperature and blood circulation to the fingers and hands. If the nerves and blood vessels are expossed to vibration in this state, the damage inflicted will greatly increase. 4. Keep your tools maintained: It is vital that vibratory power tools are serviced regularly to ensure that all components work eciently, there are no loose parts and tools are well lubricated. All power tools eventually succumb to wear and tear, and tools in poor condition can vibrate excessively higher than normal levels. 3. Hire low vibration tools: When it comes to HAVS, and ultimately peoples safety, invest in options such as Active Vibration Reduction (AVR) by Hilti or Makita’s AVT (Anti-Vibration Technology). Not only will these tools greatly reduce the dangers of HAVS, these models boost onsite productivity as sta can operate tools for longer periods before ELA or AVL values are reached. 1. Change working processes: Quite simply, the easiest way to control the dangers of HAVS is to eliminate and minimise the requirement of using vibratory power tools altogether. For example, can an excavator with a breaker attachment be used rather than roadworkers using handheld breakers? Can remote control technology be used to remove HAV risks? 2. Plan tool use schedules: Site managers can plan working schedules using vibratory tools over longer periods of time, allowing for shorter working intervals using the tools to avoid periods of prolonged use. This allows the blood circulation to return to the soft tissue in the hands. EMPLOYER ACTIONS Measuring the vibration levels absorbed by the operator of power tools is not an exact science. It is important to note there are varying elements that can eect the vibration absorption rate of an individual, with each operator experiencing dierent levels of vibration for identical scenarios. Factors such as muscle mass, circulation, terrain, weather and even stress can alter the intensity of vibratory energy experienced by an operators body.
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