The rail industry has identified HAVs as the most common occupational disease among workers.
New data reports that during 2018-19 there were 91 cases of HAVS being diagnosed within the rail industry. Making it the most commonly reported disease over the past 9 years.
Since 2010 there have been a total of 662 reports of the career-changing disease, caused by the repeated use of hand-held vibrating tools, meaning cases have increased by 56.9%.
The disease is caused by repeated use of hand held vibrating tools and some people can feel the effects sooner than others.
The affects can be felt in your hands, wrists and arms, the damage can be permanent or disabling.
People can find loss of strength in hands, numbness or tingling of fingers, loss of sensitively, fingers may go white especially in cold weather or pains in hands or wrists.
Some ways you can reduce the risks when using hand held vibrating tools are always checking you have the correct tool for the job, keep your fingers moving during breaks to maintain good circulation or check that the tool is in good working order before use.
Therefore, here at RTM we are taking a deep dive into HAVs and producing a guide to do with best practice when it comes to HAVS in the rail industry.
We are asking all the important questions, such as do you have any specific HAVs expertise within your organisation and what is the best method of monitoring exposure, on behalf of the industry.
Complete the survey below, share your thoughts, insights and experiences with HAVs and to thank you for sharing, you will be entered into a prize draw for a chance to win a £50 Amazon voucher.
