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  4. Hand Arm Vibration (HAVS)

Hand Arm Vibration (HAVS)

Occupational Health

Hand / Arm Vibration (HAVS)

What is Hand-Arm Vibration

If your employees use hand-held power tools, drive high mileage or drive work vehicles over rough and uneven surfaces as a main part of their job, they could be at risk of vibration-related ill-health. Hand-arm vibration (HAVS) comes from the use of hand-held power tools, but there is also whole-body vibration (WBVS) which is transmitted through the seat or feet of employees who drive mobile machines or other work vehicles. As part of your risk management, vibration health surveillance is vital to detect and respond to early signs of vibration-related damage.

Under The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations, the employer is obligated to provide vibration health surveillance where this a risk to health from exposure to vibrating hand-held equipment or of whole-body vibration from vehicle use.

We can help you to manage your requirements to provide hand-arm vibration health surveillance or whole-body vibration health surveillance under the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations. These can be part of a health surveillance program or a standalone Vibration Medical. Hand Arm Vibration Medicals include questionnaire, grip and Sensitivity testing. Whole-body vibration includes a questionnaire and specialist appointment.

Following the Vibration health surveillance, the employee and the employer will be given a Fitness for Work Certificate stating the outcome as fit for work or fit for work with restrictions.

Where can Hand-Arm Vibration Surveillance be Carried Out?

As with most of our services, these can be at your workplace or our offices in Wootton Bassett. If it’s only a handful of people or individuals, then our office works well, otherwise, it makes sense to arrange at your workplace.

In some cases onward referral to a specialist may be required; the Safewell Occupational Health team will manage this whole process for you and provide practical interpretation with the aim of rehabilitation of the employee back to work.

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Georgina Williams
April 20, 2022

John Williams Heating Services Ltd

We have worked with Safewell for many years and are retained clients, so we have developed an excellent working relationship with the team. However, this really came into its own when Covid 19 appeared.

As a Plumbing and Heating business, we were able to carry on working during the lockdown but only for responding to emergencies. We were obviously very concerned about the health and safety of our employees and before we even had chance to get in touch with Safewell, they had emailed us offering their assistance. It is hard to put down on paper how that made us feel - we like everyone else felt totally at sea, which way to turn, what to do? But Safewell were there guiding, supporting and being totally brilliant. Their attention to detail is very impressive and reassuring and we feel able to ask lots of questions without feeling silly.

During the pandemic Safewell helped us to write risk assessments, safety procedures and protocols. They kept in touch regularly, issuing new guidance as soon as it appeared and checking in with us. They held group Q&A sessions over Zoom which were helpful, and knowing other businesses were facing the same challenges and having the opportunity to discuss issues was invaluable. Their help during the preparation for a full return to work was brilliant, they enabled us to be fully prepared and feel in control, and when we had our first case of Covid within the team, because we had planned our response it felt ok.

I think our team felt very reassured by our robust approach and that our office was Covid secure.
We are extremely grateful to all the team at Safewell

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