Power and pneumatic tools must be vibration tested
Anyone who uses power or pneumatic tools regularly for their work will know that these tools need to be tested regularly for HAVS or Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome. If there is excessive vibrations coming from the equipment, it can cause serious and permanent damage to the health of the operator. Companies owning such tools are obliged by law to have their equipment tested regularly and this is a service that we can offer. Workplace health and safety is something we take very seriously because accidents can and do happen even when all precautions are taken.
The aim of the risk assessment is to help you decide what you need to do to ensure the health and safety of your employees who are exposed to vibration.
Your risk assessment should:
- Identify where there might be a risk from vibration and who is likely to be affected;
- Contain a reasonable estimate of your employees’ exposures, and;
- Identify what you need to do to comply with the law eg whether vibration control measures are needed, and, if so, where and what type; and
- Identify any employees who need to be provided with health surveillance and whether any are at particular risk.
You must record the findings of your risk assessment. You need to record in an action plan anything you identify as being necessary to comply with the law, setting out what you have done and what you are going to do, with a timetable and saying who will be responsible for the work.
You will need to review your risk assessment if circumstances in your workplace change and affect exposures. Also review it regularly to make sure that you continue to do all that is reasonably practicable to control the vibration risks. Even if it appears that nothing has changed, you should not leave it for more than about two years without checking whether a review is needed.
How do I get started?
If you answered 'yes' to any of the questions in the section 'Do you have a vibration problem?' you will need to assess the risks to decide whether any further action is needed, and plan how you will do it. Click here to continue
Further information