Toolbox Training – HAVS
Hand-arm vibration can cause significant ill health that, although preventable, is permanent once the damage is done. With over 2 million people at risk in Britain’s workforce it is vital that workplaces manage the risks. With this in mind Mays’ Health and Safety meeting included a Toolbox Talk on the subject of HAVS (Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome).
With much of our equipment, including the following;
- Chainsaw Battery/Petrol
- Petrol Strimmers/Brush Cutters
- Petrol Hedge Cutters
- Petrol leaf Blowers
- Battery Staple Gun
- Petrol Auger/Hole Borers
- Petrol Lawn Mowers
- Petrol Wacker Plate machine
- Floor Saw
- Pole saw
- Drill
Generating significant levels of vibration, the aim of this talk was to educate the guys on the effects of HAVS, how we can measure exposure and how we can protect them from exposure.
This presentation was followed by HAVS Week which gave us the opportunity to record exposure limits of every employee for a full week of work. Using this data and any data we collect over subsequent HAVS Weeks we can begin to measure EAV and ELV and take appropriate action, where necessary, to keep all team members safe.
In the meantime we have already invested in our first electric strimmer and long reach hedge cutter both of which have significantly lower vibration rates. There are grounds to continue use of petrol strimmers as these tend to be more robust than their electric counterparts but we hope that with continued improvements in machines and a wider market choice we can have 50/50 split between petrol and electric tools in the near future.
View our Toolbox Training document below.
