A technician uses a grinder, an impact wrench and a sander during the same shift. Each task looks short when considered separately, but the vibration exposure accumulates. A useful hand-arm vibration risk assessment follows the person through the working day, identifies realistic exposure and changes how the work is done. It should give a supervisor clear decisions about equipment, task allocation and when to stop or escalate.
Identify the work and the people exposed
Hand-arm vibration can come from handheld power tools, hand-guided equipment and vibrating workpieces held against machinery. Breakers, grinders, sanders, impact wrenches and grounds-maintenance equipment are familiar examples. Include occasional maintenance and hired equipment as well as the tools used every day.
Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) can cause lasting damage. Early symptoms include tingling, numbness, reduced grip and fingers turning white in cold conditions. Encourage prompt reporting and occupational health advice; supervisors should not diagnose the condition themselves. A worker with symptoms or a relevant existing condition may need additional protection even when the standard exposure calculation looks low.
For a Teesside workshop or County Durham maintenance contractor, the assessment should identify who uses each tool, the actual task, material, accessory, equipment condition and exposure duration. Consult the people doing the work: the planned method and the method used under production pressure can differ.
Understand the action value and limit value
In Great Britain, the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 require employers to assess vibration risks and eliminate them at source where reasonably practicable, or reduce them as low as reasonably practicable. The following are current duties, not proposed changes.
For hand-arm vibration, the daily exposure action value is 2.5 m/s² A(8), equivalent to 100 exposure points. If that value is likely to be reached or exceeded, an appropriate programme of technical and organisational controls is required. The daily exposure limit value is 5 m/s² A(8), equivalent to 400 points. Plan ordinary work so that it does not exceed the limit; if it is exceeded, take immediate action, investigate why and prevent recurrence.
A(8) expresses exposure normalised to an eight-hour reference period. It does not mean that every tool may be used for eight hours. The action value is not a target, and being below it does not remove the duty to address risk, particularly for susceptible workers.
HSE: legal duties and exposure values ↗ · Vibration Regulations: elimination and control of exposure ↗
Use representative vibration data and actual trigger time
A manufacturer's declared vibration figure may come from a test that does not represent your task. Check its suitability with the supplier, including the material, attachment, operating mode and likely variation. HSE provides initial vibration values for common tools where appropriate data is unavailable. Record the source and assumptions so another manager can understand the estimate.
Trigger time is the time the hands actually receive vibration from operating equipment or the workpiece. It is not the whole shift or the time a tool is booked out. Observe representative work, time repeated operations and allow for busy days. Employee estimates alone can be unreliable. Include every vibrating tool or process used by the person that day.
HSE says specialist vibration measurement is needed only when suitable data cannot be obtained elsewhere. Where measurement is necessary, use a competent person with suitable equipment. A wearable timer is not automatically a vibration measurement instrument. Its calculated exposure is only as reliable as the vibration data and time information it uses.
HSE: vibration risk assessment ↗ · HSE: measurement and monitoring ↗
Add the person's exposure across tools
Use HSE's calculator to combine vibration magnitude and trigger time for each activity. Add the exposure points from the activities; do not simply add their A(8) values. A traffic-light sticker or single-tool time allowance can mislead if the employee moves between several tools.
Illustrative example: one hour of actual exposure at 5 m/s² contributes 50 points. Another half-hour at 10 m/s² contributes 100 points. The daily total is 150 points, or approximately 3.1 m/s² A(8). That exceeds the action value, although neither the working day nor either task lasts eight hours. These are example inputs, not approved usage times for any particular tool.
Build uncertainty into planning and leave a sensible margin. The calculation should help select controls and organise work before exposure occurs. An end-of-shift record may reveal an exceedance too late to prevent it.
Check the full working day.
HR + SAFETY can review your tool register, exposure assumptions and task controls, and help identify where specialist measurement or occupational health input is needed.
Discuss your vibration assessmentReduce exposure through the job design
First consider whether the vibrating operation can be eliminated, mechanised or changed. Select equipment that completes the task efficiently with lower vibration. A smaller tool that takes much longer can increase total exposure. Trial suitable alternatives with operators and consider supports or jigs that reduce unnecessary grip force.
Maintain tools and vibration-reduction features, and replace worn accessories. Plan exposure periods, rest breaks and genuinely different tasks where needed. Rotation helps only when each person's total exposure is reduced; moving from a grinder to another vibrating tool does not reset the daily total.
Keep workers warm and dry. Gloves may help with warmth, but HSE says they should not be relied upon as protection from vibration. Ensure supervisors understand the controls and can change the job when equipment, materials or workload differ from the assessment.
HSE: practical vibration controls ↗ · Related guide: PUWER inspection requirements →
Arrange health surveillance and act on findings
Provide appropriate health surveillance where employees are likely to be regularly exposed above the action value despite controls, or are at risk for another reason. Use a provider with relevant HAV experience to advise on the programme and referral arrangements. A questionnaire can support screening, but positive responses need appropriate follow-up.
Keep the employer's health-surveillance record and fitness advice securely; confidential clinical records remain with the medical provider. Act on recommendations about exposure and review controls when findings suggest they are ineffective. Do not wait for the next scheduled questionnaire when symptoms are reported. Health surveillance supports prevention; it does not make excessive exposure acceptable.
Employer checklist: turn the assessment into daily decisions
Assign actions to named people with completion dates. Check that the revised method works during a busy shift and update the assessment when evidence changes. Guidance and legal duties checked on 17 September 2026.
- List vibrating tools, processes, users and representative tasks.
- Record credible vibration data, its source and any uncertainty.
- Observe actual trigger time and combine exposure across the day.
- Prioritise elimination, suitable lower-vibration methods and maintenance.
- Give supervisors practical task limits and escalation instructions.
- Train workers to use controls and report symptoms promptly.
- Arrange appropriate health surveillance and act on fitness advice.
- Review after equipment or workload changes, symptoms or failed controls.
A defensible assessment links real tool use to each person's daily exposure, effective controls and appropriate health surveillance. The practical outcome is a job that produces less harmful exposure and a team that knows when the plan needs to change.
This guide provides general information for UK employers. It is not legal advice and should not replace advice based on the facts of a specific matter.