BUILDHEALTH
BUILDHEALTH NI GETS THE CONVERSATION GOING ON IMPORTANT HEALTH ISSUES IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR… Lets talk about: HAVS (particularly in the cold and wet, and
H and-arm vibration syndrome into your hands and arms. The condition develops over time and it is often too late to reverse the damage once noticed. WHAT CAUSES HAVS? 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. (HAVS) is caused when vibration is transmitted from work equipment WHAT ARE THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF OVER EXPOSURE TO VIBRATION? It can cause hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). 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
Reduce the amount of time you use a tool in one go, by doing other jobs in between. Avoid gripping or forcing a tool or workpiece more than you have to; let the equipment do the work for you. Store tools so that they do not have very cold handles when next used. Encourage good blood circulation by keeping warm and dry, e.g. wear warm waterproof clothing. Give up or cut down on smoking because smoking reduces blood flow. Massage and exercise your fingers during work breaks. Report any problems with your hands promptly to your employer or the person who does your health checks. Use any control measures your employer has put in place to reduce the risk of HAVS i.e. calculation exposure rates for the equipment being used.
probably only in the tips at first). They are likely to get worse with
continued exposure to vibration and may become permanent. These effects can severely limit the jobs an affected person is able to do, as well as many family and social activities. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is pressure on a nerve in your wrist. It causes tingling, numbness and pain in your hand and fingers. You can often treat it yourself, but it can take months to get better. HOW CAN WE REDUCE EXPOSURE TO HAND ARM VIBRATION? Use suitable low vibration tools and always use the right tool for each job to do the job more quickly and expose you to less hand-arm vibration. Check tools before using them to make sure they have been properly maintained and repaired to avoid increased vibration caused by faults or general wear. Make sure cutting tools are kept sharp so that they remain efficient.
Visit: www.buildhealthni.com, where you can download the resources for the whole range of health discussion topics and start the conversation towards better awareness of risks to health.
EXAMPLES OF EQUIPMENT AND THEIR VIBRATION RATINGS VIBRATION LEVEL INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON THE MANUFACTURER’S WEBSITE AND IN THE MANUFACTURER’S INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED WITH THE EQUIPMENT.
Disc cutter: Vibration value, 3.9 m/s²
Jackhammer drill: Vibration level - chiselling: 8.5 m/s²
Angle grinder: Vibration - surface grinding - 6.5 m/s²
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