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HAVS (Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome) – Information, Instruction and Training – when to provide one and one that is competent?

An earlier posting reported the large fines imposed upon businesses failing to protect staff against Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS).

HAVS is a debilitating injury caused by prolonged use of powered tools (e.g. angle grinders, impact wrenches and strimmers) and this injury is caused by blood vessel, nerve, and muscular damage in the hands and arms. Employers are legally bound to minimise such risks to employee health under the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations (2005).

One major outcome of the prosecutions mentioned in the earlier posting was the failure of businesses to provide suitable and sufficient Information, Instruction and Training (IIT). Had such training been originally provided, then it may have enabled the early signs of HAVS to be recognised and therefore reported in time before reaching an irreversible state. Unfortunately this was not the case and the regulatory bodies intervened, resulting in the inevitable outcome.

If an outcome of your risk assessment is that IIT should be provided, then questions to ask yourself would be who should provide it, and how can your business ensure that the training is to a standard that would best satisfy regulatory bodies if you were to find yourself in the unfortunate position of defending a case. What relevant material should the training include?

There’s a FREE guide available that looks to provide answers to the above questions and more. Fill in the form on this page and we’ll send you your free guide.