hav risk management best practice - myths and reality

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Industrial Noise and Vibration Centre

HAV Risk Management

Myths and Best Practice

HAV Management Best Practice

vibration

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• Invited to present on the HSE Road-Shows across the UK to

launch the new HAV (and noise) regulations

• The largest HAV database of accurate field values available

virtual assessments as per HSE guidance

• Developed and run the IOSH HAV competency courses

the major provider of noise and HAV training in the UK

• Developed Croner, 3M, Desoutter … HAV Documentation

• HAV-Test tool maintenance system

• Vibration control design and development

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Vibration Management Programme

Objective: establish and implement "Best Practice" for each element

- in your particular circumstances....

• Identify potential hazardous tools and operations

list tool types, models, manufacturers + "jobs“

• Assess risks for tools and operations

representative sample + published data

• Train managers, supervisors and operators

• Implement Risk Reduction Programme

PPE, ergonomics, operating conditions, maintenance, modifications…

• Buy / Hire Smooth

implement vibration purchasing / hiring policy

• Health Surveillance Programme

where A(8) exposure likely to be > 2.5m/s2)

• Audit Programme

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• Identify potential hazardous tools and operations

list tool types, models, manufacturers + "jobs“

• Assess risks for tools and operations


• Train managers, supervisors and operators

• Implement Risk Reduction Programme

PPE, ergonomics, operating conditions, maintenance, modifications…

• Buy / Hire Smooth


• Health Surveillance Programme


• Audit Programme

Much of the safety industry has a "risk measurement"

culture, with assessment as an end in itself rather than as a

precursor to the more challenging action to reduce risk...

"If you are paying suppliers or consultants to measure your

tool vibration every year or two, it's very good business for

them, but completely unnecessary..."

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Vibration Risk Assessment

• Tasks and activities

list typical tasks and operations that could pose a potential risk

• Tools and Plant

list items of plant / tools that could pose a potential risk - include tool

details, manufacturers and models, accessories/consumables used,

task, material etc.

• Vibration data

acquire matching field data from reliable sources of published data;

set-up vibration assessments for the minimum number of tasks for

which good information is not available. This generates a realistic

estimate of the typical range of vibration for each activity

• Trigger times

acquire estimates of realistic likely finger-on-trigger times for the

various tools and activities

http://www.invc.co.uk/noise/vibration/handarm-vibration/




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Dosimetry

• Noise: well understood technology

high cost logging meters + software used to assess

the likely exposures of typical operators via sampling

of staff as part of a risk assessment: c £400 / unit

• Vibration: instrumentation - only relatively recently

available

HAVi: simple, low cost tool single-tool use timer and

dose evaluation: c £35 - £50 / unit

HAVmeter: high cost, multi-tool use timer and dose

evaluation with reporting software: c £350/head +

£750 base-station (8) + £6k software (10 users) +

subscription

Both can be useful during initial assessment

and as a "tool“ to remind operators of the risks.

But: cost v benefit analysis must be carried out.

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Assessment Cost v Benefit

The only reason to carry out an assessment is to provide you with the

data you need to develop a practical Plan of Action to reduce the risks.

Best Practice Objectives

assess typical operator tool and / or task (multi-tool) vibration

exposures in terms of daily dose or dose per task e.g. dose per

wheel (wrench / wheel nuts); dose per meter of trench....

evaluate data to generate statistics for each task which are then used

in the risk assessment (as for noise)

develop an Action Plan to implement a risk reduction programme

Resource Allocation

spend the minimum on assessment of both vibration values and

trigger times. Once you have good representative statistics, any

further expenditure on assessment is unnecessary

spend as much of your resources as possible on risk reduction,

rather than measurement

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Equivalent Daily Vibration Exposures

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A(8): Vibration v Trigger Time

Risk is proportional to vibration: x2 vibration = x2 risk

Risk is proportional to square root of trigger time: x4 time = x2 risk

Accuracy of vibration values is much more important than trigger time

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Instrumenting Rivet Hammer

233m/s2 – overload(!) – needs mechanical filter….

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Measurement v Virtual Assessment

HSE Guidance and Recommendations:-

• use reliable published field vibration data as the basis for risk

assessments wherever possible

• companies should spend their time and resources reducing risk rather

than on re-measuring tools for which accurate field data is already

available or reassessing tools or activities for which they already have

good data

Important Note

• Unlike most other workplace risks, it is only necessary to carry out a

full HAV assessment once. Unless you change the tools or the way

they are used, there is no need to reassess - simply update data to

include any new plant. This is a fundamental difference that affects

the economics of purchasing vibration monitoring equipment for in-

house use.

e.g. noise assessments have to be reviewed at least every 2 years.

http://www.invc.co.uk/noise/vibration/handarm-vibration/#havbase




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Angles on Angle Grinding

Cut-off v fettling

- very different vibration values

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Template Tool Register

Necessary part of best practice + approved tool list…

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HAV and Noise Assessment Database





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HAV-Base HAV Risk Statistics

Vibration m/s2 Points or time to EAV / ELV Tool Category

+1 s.d. mean -1 s.d.

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Presentation of Vibration Data

Tool Vibration m/s2 "to EAV" Working Time (mins)

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"Safe" Working Distance for PPE

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HAV Tool Assessment Options and Costs

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Identify potential hazardous tools and operations

list tool types, models, manufacturers + "jobs"

Assess risks for tools and operations


Train managers, supervisors and operators

Implement Risk Reduction Programme

PPE, ergonomics, operating conditions, maintenance, engineering

modifications .....

Buy Smooth

implement vibration purchasing policy

Health Surveillance Programme

where A(8) exposure likely to be > 2.5m/s2

Audit Programme

Exposure Times / Job Rotation

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Training is one of the most important programme elements as there is

considerable lack of knowledge of the risks and costs of vibration plus

substantial under-reporting by operators.

management and supervisors: personal motivation, company policy,

vibration management programme

"toolbox" talks for operators / supervisors: personal motivation and

risk prevention, symptom reporting procedures, company policy

competency training for large companies

Personal behaviour has a very large impact on the health risk posed by

any given vibration exposure

Training

http://www.invc.co.uk/training-section/training/vibration-training-courses/








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modifications .....

Buy Smooth




Audit Programme


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PPE2 with gloves on ...

Hard hats, safety glasses, visors, masks, earmuffs .....

But for Hand-Arm Vibration ...................

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PPE for Vibration

None! so called "anti-vibration" gloves generally have little or no effect on

weighted levels of hand vibration except in very unusual circumstances.

gloves are useful to keep hands warm and provide physical protection -

but "anti-vibration" gloves are thick and unwieldy

But .... use conventional gloves to keep hands warm as they are more

comfortable and provide better ergonomics

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Personal Behaviour....

16m/s2: 12 minutes re 2.5m/s2; 48 minutes re 5m/s2. VWB…

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pictures: HSE Vibration Solutions

Exhaust Air - Hand Temperature

Temperature Problems

Air exhausts can cool operators' hands

which makes them more susceptible to

the effects of vibration. Cold handles

can also produce a similar effect.

Solutions

Scrap tubing and an old gauntlet were

used here to direct exhaust air away

from the hands. Rubber sleeving can

also be used as insulation on metal

handles to keep hands warmer.

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picture: HSE Vibration Solutions

Change Process, Mechanise

Operator vibration exposure -

ZERO!

There can also be productivity

and other operational benefits

that make remote control plant

more cost effective than

manual operation.

Remote control vibratory plate

Casting Shell Knockout

Replaced manual riveting

hammer with jig mounted breaker

reducing exposure from 10m/s2 to

0m/s2. Cost c £2500.

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picture: HSE Vibration Solutions

Field Assessment

A vibration check on-site revealed

a weighted level of 15m/s2

compared with an expected value

of the order of 4m/s2.

Maintenance

Dismantling the tool showed that

many of the needles were broken

and that one of them was jamming

the vibration cushioning system.

Once repaired, a field re-test

produce a vibration level of 4m/s2.

Operators should report unusually

high levels of vibration on

individual tools.

Maintenance - Needlegun

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Maintenance - keep tools well maintained

Exercise hands during work periods

Always report any Hand-Arm symptoms

Smoking - don't smoke, especially before using tools

Use the right tool for the job in the right way (ergonomics)

Report faulty, ineffective or poorly maintained tools

Ensure you keep your hands as warm as possible

Short breaks - multiple short breaks better than long ones

Summary of Measures to Reduce Personal Risk

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modifications .....

Buy / Hire Smooth




Audit Programme


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"Traffic Lights" - Hirer Beware...

The Hire Association Europe introduced a "traffic light" system

for grading tool vibration levels against the Exposure Limit Value.

• based on manufacturers' declared laboratory data

The colour coding implies that "green" tools do not pose a

significant HAV risk - whereas many of these tools would be

classified as "amber" or "red" if categorised according to field

vibration data.

• only use this grading as an initial guide - do not use it as the

basis for any form of risk assessment

"Amber" rock drill (hirer catalogue extract) -

".. 5-10m/s2, up to 2 hours use without further risk assessment .."

12-24m/s2 INVC field measurements on these drills at the hirer -

5 minutes to reach Action Value, 20 minutes to reach Limit Value!

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Vibration Test Standards

These tests should be carried out by the manufacturer

machines run on artificial loads - to get repetitive values

vibration value is hand-arm weighted rms value (ISO 5349)

ISO 8662 / EN 50144, EN 60745:2003 series - single axis values

EN60745:2006/2007; ISO 28927 - tri-axial vector sum values

3 skilled operators load tool during measurements

The results are the "Declared Values" for vibration from the tools that

should be included in the technical file by the manufacturer.

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This information provided by the manufacturers' is based on laboratory

tests under controlled conditions. Most of these tests have little or no

relationship to the way that the tools are used in practice. The HSE

guidance suggests doubling the declared values as a starting point…

You should not use manufacturers' declared data for risk assessments

unless you can show they are representative. For example ...

Manufacturers' Declared Vibration Values

Tool Supplier

Data

Field

Results

grinder 3 5 - 12

damped

chipper <2.5 17

damped

riveter <2.5 8

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- Train managers, supervisors and operators



modifications .....

Buy Smooth




Audit Programme


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Tier 1 - Pre-employment baseline check

- self-administered

Tier 2 - Annual Screening

- self-administered - option to appoint "Responsible Person"

Tier 3 - Clinical assessment

- by qualified person (e.g. occupational health nurse)

Tier 4 - Diagnosis

- qualified doctor

Tier 5 - Standardised Tests (optional)

- highly specialised service

See HSE regulatory guidance L140 for sample questionnaires.

Tiered Health Surveillance System

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Industrial Noise and Vibration Centre: www.invc.co.uk

HAV Risk Management

Best Practice

FAQ


vibration


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HAV Risk Management FAQs - 1

Do I have to measure the vibration on all my tools?

No - only measure if you cannot get good data from other sources (not

manufacturers' data unless you can show it is representative).

How often do I have to repeat vibration assessments?

Never! It only has to be done well once - update if you get new tool types.

What is the best way to get accurate finger-on-trigger times?

Depends on the circumstances - in simple cases with relatively low risk,

observation; for higher risk or more complex activities, use tool timers over

a sufficient time and number of tools to acquire good statistics. We often

recommend either buying a number of HAVi units or hiring HAVmeters until

you have the data you need.

Remember that the accuracy of trigger times is not as important as that of

tool vibration values in determining dose.

Is dosimetry advisable or necessary?

No - once you have good assessment data, further measurement is usually

unnecessary (as with noise) and will not change the actions you have to

take. The resources should be spent on risk reduction instead.

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What is the best way to monitor and record tool use and exposures?

Often not necessary for standard work e.g. trenches, mowing, production

environments.

For high risk, high variability activities, keep it as simple as possible - but

configured to fit with company culture. From simple paper systems to PC

data entry (e.g. equipped vans) to tags and click-counters to meters.

The key is to implement the best cost / benefit approach possible in your

particular environment.

How can I make best use of a limited budget?

Minimise expenditure on assessment and prioritise control measures

proportional to risk and the number of personnel affected.

Is there any effective PPE for HAVS?

No! - but use conventional gloves to keep hands warm...

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How do I ensure that we comply with the regulations in practice?

Audit on the ground and compare and document your practices against the

best practice benchmarks for your industry.

What are key elements the court will consider if there is a claim?

Have you established what comprises best practice in risk reduction for

your industry and then implemented it?

Do you have documentary evidence that you are complying in practice?

(audits of operational procedures, tool selection, purchasing / hiring,

training...)

How have you prioritised your allocation of resources to minimise the risk

to personnel exposed to vibration? (if you have spent most of your budget

on measurement or "PPE", you are doomed....)

Do you have effective health surveillance in place for personnel at risk?

(making use of the results)

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HAV Management Audit

Benchmark current practice against best practice for your industry.

Initial Audit

policy and procedural review and typical site visits

existing data - quality of risk assessments and statistics

discussion - knowledge / training

initial report - weaknesses, short-term improvements

planning meeting(s)

Company HAV Management Programme Update

procedures and documentation

site testing and feedback - update programme

training programme

Action Plan

Implementation

roll-out programme

audit at suitable intervals - HAV Management Reports





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The objective is to establish and implement "Best Practice" for each of

these elements – in your particular circumstances.





- Train managers, supervisors and operators



modifications .....

Buy Smooth




Audit Programme

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HAV Risk Management

Myths and Best Practice

Thank you. Questions?


vibration






hav risk management best practice - myths and reality

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