Introduction to Health and Safety at Work

Introduction to Health and Safety at Work
254
➤
ensure that the correct equipment (properly adjusted) 
is always used
➤
introduce job rotation so that workers have a 
reduced time exposure to the hazard
➤
during the design of the job ensure that poor pos-
ture is avoided
➤
undertake a risk assessment
➤
reports from employees and safety representatives
➤
ill-health reports and absence records
➤
introduce a programme of health surveillance
➤
ensure that employees are given adequate informa-
tion on the hazards and develop a suitable training 
programme
➤
ensure that a programme of preventative mainten-
ance is introduced and include the regular inspec-
tion of items such as vibration isolation mountings, 
and
➤
keep up-to-date with advice from equipment manu-
facturers, trade associations and health and safety 
sources (more and more low vibration equipment is 
becoming available).
A very useful and extensive checklist for the identifi -
cation and reduction of work-related upper limb dis-
orders is given in Appendix 2 of the HSE Guide to 
work-related upper limb disorders HSG 60. HSE have 
also produced two very useful guides – Hand-arm vibra-
tion, The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 
Guidance on Regulations L140 and Whole-body vibra-
tion, The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 
Guidance on Regulations L141. These guidance docu-
ments offer detailed advice on the implementation of the 
regulations.
15.2.3
The Control of Vibration at Work 
Regulations 2005
The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations introduce, for 
both hand-arm and whole-body vibration, a daily expos-
ure limit and action values. These values are as follows:
1. For hand-arm vibration
(a) 
the daily exposure limit value normalized to an 
8-hour reference period is 5 m/s
2
(b) 
the daily exposure action value normalized to 
an 8-hour reference period is 2.5 m/s
2
2. For whole-body vibration
(a) 
the daily exposure limit value normalized to an 
8-hour reference period is 1.15 m/s
2
(b) 
the daily exposure action value normalized to 
an 8-hour reference period is 0.5 m/s
2
An exposure limit value must not be exceeded. If an 
exposure action value is exceeded, then action must be 
taken to reduce the value. The expression A(8) is added 
to the exposure limit or action value to denote that it is an 
average value spread over an 8-hour working day. Thus 
the daily exposure limit value for hand-arm vibration is 
5 m/s
2
A(8).