Blog Article | Abbey Service – HAVS Team Heroes
At Abbey, we work closely with our customers to provide flexible service solutions to suit individual site needs. Abbey’s Service Team is a dedicated resource, providing on-site tooling advice, tool collection and drop off services alongside on-site HAVS testing.
With over 2 million workers at risk of developing HAVS in the UK and 300,000 people currently suffering from advanced stages, responsible manufacturers must ensure that actions are taken to minimise and where possible, eradicate the likelihood of this illness occurring.
What is HAVS?
Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) is caused by an over exposure to vibrations when using equipment such as handheld power tools. Symptoms can include bouts of vibration white finger this is where fingers can lose all feeling and turn white in cold temperatures. It also includes muscle fatigue which can potentially result in disability and in some cases carpel tunnel syndrome.
The dangers with HAVS is that symptoms can take time to become fully apparent, but once evident there is no known treatment to reverse the effects and harm caused to the daily quality of life, the long term impact for sufferers is often quite extreme with day-to-day activities such as holding a glass or pulling a zip being affected.
The aim of vibration regulations is to ensure that workers are being protected from excessive vibration when they are using handheld power tools at their place of work. The level at which employers must take action, will be dependent on the measured vibration exposure for each task or activity over a working day.
The Abbey Solution
At Abbey, we work with a multitude of manufacturers to provide expert advice and services around vibration management in line with HSE standards. An effective programme should ensure the health and safety of employees by thorough assessment and implementation of measures to minimise and where possible eliminate vibration risk.
We also provide information and training for employees on vibration risks and appropriate control measures.
Abbey’s Service Team Engineers are trained to conduct on-site assessments using comprehensive testing equipment. We’ve also developed data collection methods which are meticulous and encompass details such as estimated trigger times, photos of the tool or test and a ready reckoner which can be used in conjunction with estimated trigger times to provide an overall risk factor for the tools in question.
Contact the team at Abbey Industrial Solutions today to learn how we can help you maximise your manufacturing productivity: discover@abbeyis.co.uk | 01924 224240
