Do I need a hand-arm vibration assessment?
Employees regularly using breakers, grinders, drills, saws or other powered tools can be exposed to hand-arm vibration. A suitable assessment identifies who is at risk and whether exposure is likely to reach the action or limit value; the tool name alone cannot answer that.
Check my situationUse HSE screening clues carefully
HSE says hammer-action tools used for around 15 minutes a day, or some rotary tools for around one hour, can indicate action-value exposure. Those are rough guides because actual vibration depends on tool, material, condition and use.
- Identify every regular vibrating task and the workers who do it.
- Estimate actual trigger time and combine exposures from multiple tools.
- Check warnings, representative vibration data and any changed process.
What to do next: Record the work pattern and ask a competent assessor to confirm whether available data supports a reasonable estimate. Prioritise control of high-risk tasks; a short questionnaire cannot determine an individual’s A(8) exposure.
When relevance is strong
Longer daily use of hammer or rotary tools, manufacturer warnings, a prior estimate near the action value or worker concerns are reasons to assess the work. The first step is not necessarily direct measurement.
When information is missing
If the tool inventory or trigger time is unknown, an uncertain result is more honest than an exemption. HSE recommends speaking to workers and supervisors and using handbooks and representative operating data.
After the assessment
An assessment may lead to lower-vibration tools, altered methods, better maintenance, shorter exposure and health surveillance. The employer keeps responsibility for the controls and review after changes.