Reactec calls for HAV safety shake-up

Hand arm vibration (HAV) safety specialist Reactec is advising companies to invest in constant HAV monitoring in order to meet health and safety requirements.

The firm said many companies are only meeting the minimum criteria in keeping their workers safe from vibration injuries such as Hand Arm Vibration (HAV).

The UK's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has set out strict guidelines that determine how much vibration is acceptable in the form of Exposure Action Values (EAVs) - the daily amount of vibration exposure above which employers are required to take action, and Exposure Limit Values (ELVs) - the maximum amount of vibration anyone can safely be exposed to on a single day. Failure to meet the legislation guidelines can lead to heavy fines.

According to Jim O'Hagan, managing director of Reactec, the costs of failing to adhere to the HSE guidelines can be higher than government-imposed fines, and companies need to act now to ensure their workers are staying within the limits.

"HAVS is a huge risk for anyone who regularly uses vibrating tools and it can devastate lives - but far too many firms are failing to adequately protect their employees," said Mr O'Hagan.

"An automatic system like the HAVmeter not only provides additional safeguards for employee's occupational health, but it also gives companies a robust and foolproof way of protecting themselves against liability for injuries and to avoid compensation claims," he said.

Reactec's HAVmeter monitors vibration exposure and is used by many of the country's construction and manufacturing firms including Tarmac, Aston Martin and Balfour Beatty.