Your Work and Your Health

Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) - an overview

Hand Arm Vibration (HAV) is vibration transmitted from work processes into workers’ hands and arms. It can be caused by operating hand-held power tools such as roadbreakers, hand-guided equipment such as lawn mowers, or by holding materials being processed by machines such as pedestal grinders. Hand transmitted vibration is one of the commonest hazards to which working people in industrialised countries are exposed. Workers in a wide range of occupations are affected and, in Great Britain alone well over a million people are thought to be exposed above the current recommended action level.

Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) is mostly commonly known as Vibration White Finger and is assesed under the Industrial Injuries Scheme.

Further information about Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) can be found on the HSE website at:

  www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/index.htm

This site is supported by the Healthy Work Matters Group