Hand-Arm & Whole-Body Vibration Assessment
Trusted since 1999 · Proven delivery partner
Vibration injury builds quietly, then becomes permanent. Hand-arm vibration syndrome and carpal tunnel syndrome develop over months and years of tool use, and whole-body vibration from mobile plant and vehicles takes its toll on drivers and operators. Our assessments measure the vibration your equipment actually produces, establish how long it is really in use, and calculate daily exposure against the action and limit values in the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005. We work with employers, health and safety managers, contractors, manufacturers, workshops and maintenance firms across London, Kent, Surrey, Essex, Hertfordshire and the South East. Trusted since 1999, with 27 years of experience.
When a Vibration Assessment Is Required
The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 require employers to assess the risk from vibration and to eliminate or reduce exposure. An assessment is needed where employees regularly use vibrating hand tools or spend substantial time operating mobile plant or vehicles, and it should be reviewed whenever tools, tasks or working hours change. Manufacturers' declared vibration figures are a starting point only — they are derived from standardised tests and routinely understate what a worn tool on a real substrate produces.
- Employees use powered hand tools regularly or for long periods
- Operators spend significant time on mobile plant, dumpers, forklifts or vehicles
- You are relying on manufacturers' declared figures alone
- Tools, consumables, substrates, working methods or hours have changed
- Tingling, numbness, blanching fingers or grip loss have been reported
- Health surveillance has identified a suspected case and exposure must be quantified
The Action and Limit Values
The Regulations set an exposure action value, at which you must introduce a programme of controls and health surveillance, and an exposure limit value, which must not be exceeded. Both are expressed as A(8) values — the daily exposure averaged over eight hours — which is why measuring trigger time matters as much as measuring the tool itself.
- Hand-arm vibration exposure action value: 2.5 m/s² A(8)
- Hand-arm vibration exposure limit value: 5 m/s² A(8)
- Whole-body vibration exposure action value: 0.5 m/s² A(8)
- Whole-body vibration exposure limit value: 1.15 m/s² A(8)
What We Measure and How
For hand-arm vibration we measure vibration magnitude at the tool's grip points while the tool is used on the material it is actually used on, by the people who actually use it. We then run trigger-time studies to establish how long the tool is genuinely in contact and under load over a shift, since a high-magnitude tool used briefly and a modest tool used all day can produce very different daily exposures. Those two figures feed a points-based exposure calculation for each task and role. For whole-body vibration we measure at the seat and floor interface of mobile plant and vehicles, taking account of surface conditions, speed and duration of driving.
- Tool vibration magnitude measured in real use on real substrates
- Trigger-time studies across representative shifts and tasks
- Points-based daily exposure calculations for each tool, task and role
- Whole-body vibration measurement on mobile plant and vehicles
- Assessment of tool condition, consumables and maintenance as exposure factors
- Identification of the highest-contributing tasks within a working day
What the Report Gives You
You receive daily exposure figures for each tool and task set against the exposure action value and the exposure limit value, expressed both as A(8) values and as exposure points, which are far easier for supervisors to manage day to day. We name the roles at greatest risk of hand-arm vibration syndrome and carpal tunnel syndrome, give you the maximum usable trigger times for each tool before the action and limit values are reached, and set out prioritised controls — from replacing or upgrading equipment and changing the method of work through to job rotation, maintenance regimes and training.
- Daily exposures in A(8) and exposure points against the action and limit values
- Maximum permissible trigger time for each tool before each value is reached
- Identification of roles at risk of HAVS and carpal tunnel syndrome
- Prioritised controls: tool substitution, task redesign, rotation and maintenance
- Comment on health surveillance and information and training needs
- Advice on when the assessment should be repeated or reviewed
Industries and Tasks We Cover
We assess vibration exposure in construction and civil engineering, demolition and refurbishment, manufacturing and fabrication, joinery and stoneworking, grounds maintenance and highways, utilities, logistics and warehousing, and maintenance and facilities teams working across commercial estates.
- Breakers, chipping hammers, needle guns and impact wrenches
- Angle grinders, cut-off saws, sanders and polishers
- Drills, hammer drills, chainsaws, strimmers and mowers
- Riveting, fettling and pedestal grinding operations
- Forklifts, dumpers, excavators, rollers and site vehicles
- Long-duration driving on rough or uneven surfaces
How the Process Works
Vibration surveys are carried out during normal work, because that is the only way the numbers mean anything.
- Enquiry — you list the tools, plant, tasks and roles you want covered
- Scoping — we agree the tool inventory, exposure groups and site attendance
- On-site monitoring — tool measurement, trigger-time study and whole-body measurement
- Calculation — A(8) values and exposure points for each task and role
- Reporting — comparison with the action and limit values plus prioritised controls
- Follow-up — support with tool procurement, rotation planning and reassessment
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