NERCHEALTH&SAFETYPROCEDURENUMBER:37CONTROLOFVIBRATIONHAZARDSATWORKVERSIONNUMBER:1.0DATEOFISSUE:July20111.PURPOSEandBACKGROUND1.1Thisprocedureseekstoensuretherisksfromexposuretovibration,whethertohandsandarmsortothewholebody,areadequatelycontrolled.Whereemployeesarelikelytobeexposedtovibrationatorabovetherelevantexposureactionorlimitvalues,measuresandadequatecontrolstoensuretheriskofpersonssufferingharmfromvibrationiseliminated,minimisedoradequatelycontrolledmustbeimplemented.1.2Handarmvibration(HAV)isapotentialhazardforemployeeswhoworkwithhandheldtools,handguidedmachineryorfeedworkbyhandtoamachinewherethisexposestheirhandsandarmstohighlevelsofvibration.ProlongedandregularexposuretoexcessivelevelsofHAVcanaffecttheoperator’shealthinparticularcausingHandArmVibrationSyndrome(HAVS),ofwhichthebestknownconditionisVibrationWhiteFinger(VWF).1.3Wholebodyvibration(WBV)ismainlyconcernedwithlargeshocksorjoltswhenthereisariskofinjurytothebackandusuallyappliestoworkersinthesittingorstandingpositionwhentravellinginmobilemachineryoverroughsurfacesforextendedperiods.1.4Prolongedexposuretoexcessivelevelsofvibrationcancauseincurableconditionsandseverelyaffectthesufferer’sabilitytocontinueworkandthequalityoftheirlife.Theamountofinjuryisrelatedtothemagnitudeofvibrationgeneratedbytheworkequipment,thedurationoftheexposureandotherfactorssuchasthemethodofwork,workplacetemperatureanddamporwindyconditions.1.5Somepersonswhosufferfromcertainmedicalconditionssuchasdiabetes,circulatoryornervousdisordersareatincreasedriskofdevelopingHAVS.Anindividual’shealthstatusandanymedicationmustbetakenintoaccountwhenconsideringtheadverseeffectsofHAV.2.SCOPE2.1ThispolicyappliestoallworkwithinNERCwherethereisariskofelevatedlevelsofexposuretoHAVorWBV.Inparticularthisincludesworkwithpoweredhand-heldtools(suchasgrinders,hammerdrills,bandsaws,hedgetrimmersorstrimmers),handguidedmachinery(suchaslawnmowers,platecompactorsor‘wackers’,chainsaws,strimmers)andhandfedmachines(suchaspedestalgrinderswherethematerialbeingactedonbythemachineisbeingheldorfedbyhandgrip).ForWBV,itwillespeciallyapplytoworkactivitieswherethebodyisexposedtohighlevelsofshockorvibrationespeciallywherepersonsdrivevehiclesoff-roadoracrossroughsurfaces.Italsopotentiallyconcernsshipsandsomeaircraft;althoughmeasurementsshowitishighlyunlikelytheexposureactionvaluewillbeexceeded.Itispossiblethathigh-speedtraveloverroughwaterusingpowerboatsorRigidInflatableBoats(RIBs)cangeneratehighlevelsofwholebodyvibration.3.REQUIREMENTS3.1No-onewithinNERCmaybeexposedtoHAVorWBVatorabovetherelevantExposureLimitValues(ELV)asspecifiedintheControlofVibrationatWorkRegulations2005(CoVaWR)andlistedbelow.IfexposureislikelytoreachtheExposureActionValue(EAV)underCoVaWR,ariskassessmentmustbeundertakenandmeasuresimplementedwhichpreventoradequatelycontrolexposuretovibrationandreducethedailyvibrationexposure,A(8),toaslowalevelasisreasonablypracticable.3.2ExposureLimitValuesandExposureActionValuesHAVDailyexposurelimitvalue(ELV)=5m/s2A(8)Dailyexposureactionvalue(EAV)=2.5m/s2A(8)AscertainedusingthebasissetoutinSchedule1Part1oftheCoVaWR.WBVDailyexposurelimitvalue(ELV)=1.15m/s2A(8)Dailyexposureactionvalue(EAV)=0.5m/s2A(8)AscertainedusingbasissetoutinSchedule2Part1oftheCoVaWR.WeeklyExposureValuesWeeklyexposurevaluesmaybeusedwheretheexposuretotheemployeefromvibrationisusuallybelowtheEAVbutvari...
