Metal Fabrication Supplies offer a HAVS Tool Monitoring Service to all of our customers

Your employees could be being exposed to harmful vibration levels when using power tools and consumable products.

TOOLS SELECTED TO REDUCE TRIGGER TIMES

WE DELIVER THE LOWEST VIBRATION LEVELS POSSIBLE

CERTIFIED & ACCREDITED BY THE INSTITUTION OF DIAGNOSTIC ENGINEERS

WE ARRANGE INITIAL CONSULTATIONS

Being an independent distributor, we are able to offer some of the most productive power tools and consumable combinations available. They are selected to help reduce trigger times, or will deliver the lowest vibration levels possible.

What is HAVS?

Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) is a widespread recognised industrial disease affecting tens of thousands of workers. It is a disorder, which affects the blood vessels, nerves, muscles, and joints, of the hand wrist and arm normally caused by excessive, long-term exposure to working with tools that vibrate. It has been estimated that up to 1 in 10 people who work regularly with vibrating tools may develop HAVS.

What happens if we do nothing?

HAVS can be avoided, but once the damage is done it is permanent, and could be very costly. New “No Win No Pay” claims companies are jumping on the bandwagon. Awards at court have increased significantly and out of court settlements are becoming less attractive to claimants. 

The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations require employers to:

  • Assess the vibration risk to employees and determine if they are likely to be exposed above the daily EAV (Exposure Action Value) of 2.5 m/s² and the daily ELV (Exposure Limit Value) of 5.0 m/s². Both values are A(8) values, meaning they are average vibration magnitude values over the course of a 8-hour work day.
  • If employees are likely to be exposed above the Exposure Action Value of 2.5 m/s², introduce a programme of controls to eliminate risk, or reduce exposure.
  • Provide health surveillance (regular health checks) to those employees who continue to be exposed above the exposure action value or otherwise continue to be at risk.
  • Acquiring actual measurements taken with a vibration meter can be time consuming and difficult to perform, so many evaluators use the declared values given by the manufacturer of the tool. 
  • The problem with this is that even though the declared values are measured according to the relevant ISO standards, the measurements are taken in well-defined situations that do not represent the specific work-situation being carried out. Real life assessments are typically 1/3rd  higher than those supplied by the manufacturer.
  • There can be considerable differences between workplaces, operators, consumables and applications. This means that exposures based on manufacturers declared values, can only be rough estimations of what an operator may be exposed to, when using the tool in real production situations.

Fill out your details below to enquire about a free HAVS consultation:

*Required.

What happens next?

We will arrange an initial consultation with your HAVS Business Manager, to help assess if we can help with your employee’s exposure to HAVS. We will need to establish the following information:

  • What brand and type of power tools are currently being used?
  • What brand and type of consumables are being used?
  • What processes are the tools and consumables being used for?
  • Are HAVS records or data currently available?
  • Are the tools being serviced on a regular basis?

We will arrange a date, normally within two weeks after the initial consultation, for one  of our fully qualified HAVS testers to visit and carry out an evaluation. The key part of our Hand Arm Vibration (HAVS) Tool Monitoring Service is to measure the vibration magnitude of our customers current power tools and consumables being used on-site in all applications, in accordance with ISO 5349-2. This involves a five stage process to ensure your tools are HAV tested to the appropriate standards.

Stage 1: Assessment

Stage One of the testing process is to ensure the tools being tested are safe to use and are in good working order. Any tools deemed unsafe will need to be serviced or repaired prior to moving on to stage two. 

Stage 2: Preparation 

Stage Two of the process involves correctly mounting the HAVS meter to the tools.

Stage 3: Testing

Stage Three of the testing process is to test the tools in all application types. In some cases, two or three tests may be carried out to determine the maximum exposure value.

Stage 4: Test Results

Stage Four is, once the tools have been tested, we will record the readings. Based on this information, we are then able to calculate how long a tool can be safely used for, in each specific application. 

Stage 5: Reporting & Certification

The Fifth and final stage in the testing process is to provide a detailed and  impartial report on each application, which is compiled using the data gathered during testing. Where the same tool is to be used for multiple applications, the test results for each test and possible risk level will be shown.

The results can then be used to assist with your own company risk assessment. 

Application Risk values will be colour coded as per the HSE recognised “Traffic light” system. 

Low Vibration Risk Application
Covers equipment that may be used intermittently throughout an eight hour day with a low risk of vibration injury, generally below 2.5m/s².

Medium Vibration Risk Application
Covers equipment that may fall between 2.5m/s² & 5.0m/s². These tools may be used for up to a maximum of two hours each day without further assessment. Products at the low end of the amber range may be used for longer periods, but must be justified by a risk assessment.

High Vibration Risk Application
Covers products over 5m/s² or 400 points. These tools could cause vibration injury even when used for a short time each day. Specific risk assessments will be required.

As part of our HAVS tool monitoring service, the data is recorded for all tools tested on-site. Data stored includes:

  1. Make and model of each tool, plus ID number. (Tools can be engraved making it easier to identify and track)
  2. Current consumables used with each tool.
  3. Condition of each tool.
  4. Vibration magnitude and possible risk to exposure of each application.

Costs: Testing & Reporting is charged at £87.00 per hour. This includes travel time – half a day (4 hours) minimum charge.

Contact your Metal Fabrication Supplies Business Development Manager or Head Office on 03452 60 30 50 for more information. Alternatively, fill out the form above.