- HAVS is permanent damage to the nerves, blood vessels and joints of the hands and arms, caused by regular use of vibrating tools – preventable, but not reversible.
- Employers have duties under the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005, including an exposure action value of 2.5 m/s² A(8) and a limit value of 5 m/s².
- Health surveillance is a legal requirement where employees are likely to be regularly exposed at or above the action value.
- The HSE's tiered scheme, from questionnaire to clinical assessment, detects early signs so exposure can be reduced before damage becomes disabling.
Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) is one of the most common, and most preventable, causes of occupational ill health in the UK, yet it remains widespread. It is caused by the regular, prolonged use of vibrating hand-held or hand-guided tools, and it damages the blood vessels, nerves, joints and muscles of the hands and arms. The most important thing an employer can understand about it is simple: HAVS is entirely preventable, but once the damage is done it is permanent. The HSE estimates that around two million people are exposed to levels of vibration at work that put them at risk.
Who is at risk
Anyone who regularly uses vibrating tools, or holds materials against a vibrating machine, may be at risk. That includes operators of hand-held power tools such as concrete breakers, grinders, sanders, chainsaws, impact wrenches and needle guns, and users of hand-guided equipment such as mowers and brush cutters. The traditional high-risk sectors, including construction and road works, foundries and engineering, stonemasonry, forestry and grounds maintenance, are joined by others that are easy to overlook, such as motor vehicle repair and workshop work. Vulnerability varies between individuals: for some, symptoms appear within months; for others, years. Someone with pre-existing nerve or circulatory problems in the hands is at greater risk, and should not usually be exposed to hand-transmitted vibration.
HAVS is entirely preventable, but once the damage is done it is permanent – which is why catching it early matters so much.
Recognising the symptoms
HAVS develops gradually, and early recognition is what prevents it becoming disabling. Symptoms can include:
- Tingling and numbness in the fingers, particularly after using tools
- Loss of sensation, making fine tasks such as fastening buttons or handling small components difficult
- Reduced grip strength, which can itself become a safety risk
- Fingers going white (blanching), then red and painful on recovery, especially in the cold or wet
- Pain and disturbed sleep, which can affect home and social life as well as work
Because the early stages are easy to dismiss, symptoms often go unreported until the damage is advanced. That is exactly why structured health surveillance matters.
Your duties under the law
HAVS is regulated by the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005. These set two key thresholds for hand-arm vibration, expressed as a daily exposure averaged over eight hours, or A(8): an exposure action value of 2.5 m/s², at which employers must introduce measures to control exposure; and an exposure limit value of 5 m/s², which must not be exceeded. Trigger time matters more than shift length, and a high-vibration tool such as a concrete breaker can reach the action value in a matter of minutes.
Employers must assess the level of vibration their employees are exposed to and reduce it so far as is reasonably practicable, provide information and training, and, where employees are likely to be regularly exposed at or above the action value or are otherwise at risk, provide health surveillance. Diagnosed cases of HAVS are also reportable to the HSE under RIDDOR.
Good practice
Reducing exposure comes before monitoring it. Look first at whether the job can be done with a lower-vibration tool or a different method, whether tools are well maintained, and whether work can be rotated so that no one person is exposed for too long. Health surveillance checks that those controls are working; it does not replace them.
How health surveillance works
Health surveillance for HAVS follows a tiered approach set out by the HSE. It usually begins with a baseline assessment before someone starts work with vibrating tools, followed by a short annual screening questionnaire. Where the questionnaire flags possible symptoms, the employee is seen for a clinical assessment by a qualified occupational health professional, who can stage the condition and advise on fitness and any need to reduce exposure. The aim throughout is early detection: catching the first signs while action can still prevent progression.
Medwyn tip
Take a baseline before exposure begins wherever you can. Without one, it is much harder to tell whether later symptoms are work-related, and much harder to show that your programme is protecting people. A baseline at the point of hire is simple to arrange and pays off for years.
Where occupational health fits
Occupational health provides the clinical core of a HAVS programme. Medwyn's health surveillance service delivers HAVS surveillance across all tiers, from baseline and annual questionnaires to clinical assessment by clinicians trained in recognising and managing the condition, on-site or at our Surrey clinic. Used properly, health surveillance keeps your programme compliant and, far more importantly, keeps your people from developing a permanent, disabling condition that good management can prevent.
This article is general guidance for employers and is not individual medical or legal advice. If you are unsure how it applies to your organisation, contact our team.