The HSE has recently changed its guidance on the uses of digital monitoring to support HAVS risk management.
The HSE requires health surveillance to be carried out where employees may be at risk. Until recently the HSE advised against relying or even using constant or digital monitoring. One understandable reason was that employers may see digital monitoring as a one stop shop solution to manage HAVS.
Reactec completely agree and also that employers should first take positive action to reduce the exposure and the risks – e.g. change the work process to avoid the need to use hand tools, modify the work to improve ergonomics, change to better tools with lower vibration and good ergonomic design, maintain and look after the tools and consumables, train your workers. Make sure that the action you take results in real changes – monitor your systems and make sure work instructions are being followed. Don’t forget health surveillance for workers at risk or to pick up early signs of ill-health.
The HSE state:
…There is no legal requirement for continual monitoring and recording of vibration exposure. Timers and vibration meters can be a useful tool for carrying out a risk assessment or for monitoring the preventive measures in place to ensure that they are effective. Relying on these devices to ensure that workers do not exceed the Exposure Limit Value (5 m/s2 A(8)) on a day to day basis is not appropriate and if your employees are continually working up-to the Exposure Limit Value then you should be looking at doing the work in a different way. Restricting exposure to just below the Exposure Limit Value will still result in many workers developing Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS).
For reference see the FAQs at – http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/faq-vibration.htm
How useful are tool timers?
| Good Points | Bad Points | Reactec comments |
| Help quantify trigger times during exposure assessment | Vibration sensor does not measure the vibration – just the time the tool is powered up | Reactec does not measure vibration to calculate the HSE exposure points method but does monitor vibration to assess tool performance. |
| Complex systems can estimate exposure for multiple tool use | Estimate of vibration is based on a pre-programmed value of vibration emission | Reactec supports exposure monitoring from multiple tool use. Reactec use the HSE points calculation method based on pre-programmed values of vibration emissions used for digital or paper based monitoring. |
| Can be used to audit success of planned controls | Even a complex system will only work if all tools are programmed into it and all tool users comply with the instructions for use | Reactec uniquely provide trends reports on tool and operator exposure to measure the effectiveness of risk reduction actions. Reactec only requires tools used which are automatically entered into the system. It is required for tool users to comply with work instructions to support a monitoring process (digital or paper based) and digital monitoring better supports this due to instant feedback in the field for operators to gain value from following procedures and removes workforce interruption by removing paper forms. |
| Exposure is more sensitive to vibration magnitude than duration of use | Pre-programmed values of vibration emissions needs to consider different types of tool use. | |
| Discouraging adequate planning for exposures to be as low as is reasonably practicable | Digital monitoring provides data to more effectively support and monitor risk reduction activity but should never be seen as the only activity to manage HAV risk. | |
| Keeping a record of likely exposure | Capturing exposures for multi-tool users | Reactec captures and reports multi tool users, exposure points and sources of exposure. |
For more information refer to http://www.hse.gov.uk/vibratio...
At Reactec we believe accurate data regardless of what you are managing is critical to making the right decisions and taking the correct actions. Accurate, accessible information should be the foundation of any risk analysis. A company’s board members would not make decisions based on knowingly inaccurate information or data? The Reactec Analytics Platform empowers not only H&S representatives with the knowledge of how to more effectively reduce the risk of HAVS but to educate and inform the operators, team leaders and other managers. By involving all stakeholders this better supports ownership of individual risk exposure and reduces what has been traditionally the responsibility of only H&S representatives.
Reactec flowchart of evaluation and controls of HAV risk
