Figures from the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) show a steady decrease in the number of prescribed cases of Vibration White Finger, also known as Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS), since mid-2011[1].
However, the figures do not account for around 770,000 self-employed construction workers who are likely to be regular users of vibration tools and exposed to high levels of vibration. ONS figures have shown that since 2008 the number of self-employed workers across all industries, including construction, has increased by 367,000[2].
Given the recent increases in self-employment within the construction industry, there’s a real risk of a HAVS ticking timebomb that has so far gone undetected. Because self-employed workers aren’t entitled to claim through the IIDB scheme, we simply don’t know the true scale of the problem.
Our own recent estimates suggest that HAVS could be costing Britain as much as £4.92 billion, when taking into account the cost to individuals, employers and Government. However, this is purely based on reported figures. In reality, that cost is likely to be much higher if you factor in self-employed incidence, which is rarely reported.
With construction in the UK picking up once again, we believe that the Government needs to try and identify the extent of the disease amongst the UK’s self-employed population and put procedures in place to identify new cases.
Across the UK, around 300,000[3] workers are estimated to have advanced symptoms of HAVS and over one million users of hand-held or hand-guided power tools are at increased risk of the disease because they are exposed to HAV above the action level set by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE).
[1] Source: DWP, IIDB quarterly statistics, 19 February 2014
[2] Source: ONS, Self-employed statistics, 2013
[3] Source: Medical Research Council
