Hand-Arm Vibration Health Surveillance

The regulations and health surveillance.

Regulation 8 requires employers to put in place health surveillance for any employees for whom the risk assessment has shown that there is a health risk arising from exposure to vibration. Those employees who are likely to be exposed to vibration above the exposure action value must also be subject to health surveillance.

The purpose of health surveillance is defined as "to prevent or diagnose any health effect linked with exposure to vibration."

The employer is further required to ensure that a record is made and maintained in respect of each employee that undergoes health surveillance.

The employer is required to give the employee access to this record and should provide the enforcing authority with copies of health records "as it may require."

We provide the full range of health surveillance equipment for hand grip strength and dexterity.

If the employee is found to have an identifiable disease or adverse health effect which is considered to be the result of exposure to vibration then the employer shall:

• ensure that a suitably qualified person informs the employee accordingly and provides the employee with information and advice regarding further health surveillance including any health surveillance which he should undergo following the end of the exposure;
• ensure that he himself is informed of any significant findings from the employee's health surveillance, taking into account any medical confidentiality;
• review the risk assessment;
• review any measure taken to comply with regulation 6 (risk management), taking into account any advice given by a doctor or occupational health professional or by the enforcing authority;
• consider assigning the employee to alternative work where there is no risk from futher exposure to vibration, taking into account any advice given by a doctor or occupational health professional;
• provide a review of the health of any other employee who has been similarly exposed, including a medical examination where such an examination is recommended by a doctor or occupational health professional or by the enforcing authority.

HSE guidance and health surveillance.

The HSE lists the purpose of health surveillance as:

• identifying anyone exposed or about to be exposed to hand-arm vibration who may be at particular risk, for example people with blood circulatory diseases such as Raynaud’s Disease;
• identify any vibration-related disease at an early stage in employees regularly exposed to handarm vibration;
• helping to prevent disease progression and eventual disability;
• helping people to stay in work;
• checking the effectivness of the vibration control measures.

The guidance stresses the importance of consultation with trade union safety reps or employees reps and with the candidates for health surveillance. The point is made that the co-operation of employees is important in ensuring that health surveillance is effective.

Basic health surveillance is described as seeking information about early symptoms of ill health by using a questionnaire. It will help to keep costs down if employers carry out this function themselves and then refer any positive responses to an occupational health service provider.

The role of the occupational health service provider is described as:

• providing advice on a suitable health surveillance programme for employees;
• setting up the programme;
• providing the necessary support and training for staff if they are going to help with the basic health surveillance;
• providing suitably qualified and experienced staff to carry out the higher level health surveillance;
• providing the employer with reports on emploees' fitness to continue work with vibration exposure.

Employers are reminded of their duty to notify the relevant enforcing authority when they are advised in writing by a doctor that an employee has hand -arm vibration syndrome or carpal tunnel syndrome.

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