HAVS Vibration Surveys & Hand-Arm Vibration Assessments | LESH
Professional hand-arm vibration (HAVS) surveys and vibration monitoring for UK employers. Accurate tool measurements, trigger times and A(8) exposure reports to help you comply with the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005.
Hand-Arm Vibration (HAVS) Surveys and Vibration Assessments
Workers who regularly use vibrating hand tools, machines or hand-guided equipment are at risk of serious, permanent injury to their hands and arms. A professional hand-arm vibration survey measures how much vibration each tool, task or process actually produces. This gives you reliable data to build a prioritised action plan, control exposure, and meet your legal duties under the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005.
LESH provides on-site HAVS vibration surveys, vibration monitoring and whole body vibration (WBV) assessments for employers in construction, manufacturing, fabrication, engineering, utilities, groundworks, foundries and other industries where powered tools are used daily.
What is Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS)?
Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) is the name for a group of injuries caused by regular exposure to vibration transmitted from tools and equipment into the hands and arms. It is a painful, disabling and largely irreversible condition, and it is common in industries that rely on vibratory tools. HAVS includes:
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Vascular damage, commonly known as vibration white finger (VWF). Blood circulation to the fingers is affected, causing them to turn white, especially in cold or wet conditions, followed by pain and throbbing as blood flow returns.
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Neurological damage, causing tingling, numbness, reduced sense of touch and loss of grip strength. This can make fine tasks such as doing up buttons difficult.
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Musculoskeletal damage, including pain and stiffness in the hands and in the joints of the wrists, elbows and shoulders.
Carpal tunnel syndrome, a nerve disorder of the hand, can also be caused or made worse by hand-arm vibration.
Early symptoms are often mild and easy to dismiss, but continued exposure leads to progressive damage. Once symptoms are established, they rarely improve, which is why early measurement, control and health surveillance are so important.
How Vibration Exposure is Measured: Understanding A(8)
Our friendly team at LESH will attend your site and attach special monitors to each tool which measures the vibration levels. The risk of developing HAVS depends on two factors: how strongly the tool vibrates (the vibration magnitude, measured in m/s²) and how long the worker is exposed during the day.
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These are combined into a single figure called the daily vibration exposure, expressed as an 8-hour energy-equivalent acceleration, or A(8). This allows exposures from different tools and different durations to be compared against the legal limits.
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The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 set two key levels for hand-arm vibration:
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Exposure Action Value (EAV): 2.5 m/s² A(8). Above this level, employers must take action to reduce exposure as far as reasonably practicable and provide health surveillance.
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Exposure Limit Value (ELV): 5.0 m/s² A(8). This is the maximum exposure permitted on any single day, and it must not be exceeded.
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For whole body vibration, which affects drivers and operators of mobile machinery, the EAV is 0.5 m/s² A(8) and the ELV is 1.15 m/s² A(8).
HSE Enforcement: A Real Prosecution Example
Manchester and Salford Magistrates heard how a local fabrication company failed to give its employees sufficient information, instruction and training on the risks of using vibrating hand tools.
HSE investigators found that a welder had been given a task involving a significant amount of grinding and polishing. When he began to experience numbness and tingling, he asked to swap tasks but was told to carry on. His symptoms continued, and his supervisor again instructed him to keep using vibrating tools. Some weeks later, a 20-year-old apprentice welder also developed vibration-related symptoms from using similar tools.
The company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 6(1) and 8(1) of the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005. It was fined £120,000 and ordered to pay £7,241 in costs.
This case shows that HSE expects employers not only to assess vibration risks but also to act on reported symptoms, control exposure, and properly train their workforce.
Benefits of a Professional HAVS Vibration Survey
Manufacturers’ vibration data is often measured under test conditions that don’t reflect how tools are used on site. Worn components, poor maintenance, different materials and operator technique can all change the real vibration levels significantly. An on-site vibration survey measures your tools as they are actually used, giving you accurate data to base decisions on.
A LESH hand-arm vibration survey and report helps you to:
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Understand your legal duties under the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 and what action you may need to take.
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Identify high-risk tools, tasks and processes that are likely to cause excessive exposure, so you can focus control measures where they will have the greatest effect.
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Establish trigger times, the length of time each tool can be used before a worker reaches the exposure action value and the exposure limit value.
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Calculate partial A(8) exposures for individual tools and activities.
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Support your vibration risk assessment with measured, defensible data.
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Inform tool selection and purchasing, helping you choose lower-vibration equipment.
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Support health surveillance by identifying which workers are at risk and need monitoring.
What is a Partial A(8) Vibration Exposure?
A partial A(8) is the vibration exposure a worker receives from using a single tool for part of their shift. It is calculated from the measured vibration level of the tool and the time the tool is used.
During a LESH vibration survey, the operators involved in tool testing are asked how long they typically use each tool during a shift. This duration is combined with the measured vibration magnitude to calculate the partial vibration exposure for that tool. Where workers use several tools in a day, the partial exposures are combined to give their total daily exposure.
It’s important to note that controlling vibration exposure cannot be achieved simply by colour-coding tools green, amber or red according to their partial A(8) value. Real exposure depends on how long, and in what combination, tools are used, so effective control needs proper exposure calculations and management oversight.
Frequently Asked Questions About HAVS and Vibration Surveys
Do I need a hand-arm vibration survey?
If your employees regularly use powered or percussive hand tools, you must assess the risk under the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005. A vibration survey gives you accurate, site-specific data to support that assessment, particularly where manufacturers’ data may not reflect real use.
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What are the legal limits for hand-arm vibration in the UK?
The exposure action value is 2.5 m/s² A(8), and the exposure limit value is 5.0 m/s² A(8). In HSE’s points system, these equal 100 points and 400 points per day.
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What is a trigger time?
A trigger time is how long a worker can use a particular tool before reaching the exposure action value or exposure limit value. Trigger times make it easier to plan work and limit exposure.
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Which tools commonly cause HAVS?
Common examples include angle grinders, breakers, hammer drills, needle scalers, chipping hammers, sanders, polishers, impact wrenches, chainsaws, hedge trimmers, and compactors such as vibrating plates.
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Can HAVS be cured?
In most cases, HAVS is permanent. Symptoms may stabilise if exposure stops early, but established damage rarely reverses. This makes prevention and early detection through health surveillance essential.
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How often should vibration be reassessed?
You should review your vibration risk assessment whenever there are significant changes, such as new tools, new tasks or reported symptoms, and at regular intervals to make sure controls remain effective.
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Book a HAVS Vibration Survey
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For more information on LESH’s hand-arm vibration surveys, vibration monitoring and whole body vibration assessments, please contact us on 0800 002 9337. Our team will help you measure, understand and control vibration exposure in your workplace.