E075:06 11 July 2006
More than two million workers in Great Britain are exposed to either excessive noise or hand arm vibration. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched a new Programme aimed at protecting these workers from suffering permanent damage to their health as a result of their work.
The Programme is designed to:
The launch event was held, on Monday 10 July at EEF, the manufacturers' organisation headquarters in London. Speakers at the event included Liz Gibby, and Bruce Appleton from HSE, Steve Walter and Gary Booton from EEF and industry specialists including John Davis of Devonport Management Ltd who spoke about good practice in ship building, Jack Knight of the British Tunneling Society, Rob Miguel of AMICUS, George Bond of Metal and Waste Recycling Ltd, Peter and Elaine Houldridge of Complete Hire Services who spoke about customers and suppliers and Sayeed Khan, Chief Medical Officer at EEF and Health and Safey Commissioner.
Barry Hill, a former mechanic technician who was signed off work in his 50's with tissue damage to his hands causing numbness, tingling and blanching was present at the event and said,
"HAVS has affected my day to day living. I have a loss of manual dexterity and find it very difficult to use my fingers, and in particular to my thumbs. Gripping with my thumbs is very difficult and painful, for example when using a brush. I dread the cold months and even during rest periods I experience coldness and painfulness. I can no longer do some of the hobbies I used to enjoy, like swimming and angling."
Steve Walter of the EEF said, "EEF believes that protecting and promoting the health of employees is key to successful and sustainable business performance." Sayeed Khan, "Help us to help you - HSE is keen to promote good practice and identify problem areas that remain."
The Programme will include a range of activities including stakeholder engagement and inspection activity to promote the use of good practice controls measures to control exposure of workers, initially will focus on Hand-Arm Vibration exposure in foundries, heavy fabrication and construction. More information about these controls and the Programme can be found at www.hse.gov.uk/vibration which was relaunched today. For more information about the controlling exposure to excessive noise, visit www.hse.gov.uk/noise
1. The Noise and Hand-arm Vibration Programme is a programme of activities, in partnership with leading stakeholders, aimed at eliminating new cases of occupational noise-induced hearing damage and controlling HAVS sufficiently to enable workers to remain at work without disability. During April 2006 to March 2007 it will focus on hand-arm vibration at work and during April 2007 to March 2008 noise at work. It applies to all industry sectors that cause high exposures to noise and/ or vibration, but particularly construction, furniture manufacture, foundries, heavy fabrication, machinery and equipment manufacture, motor vehicles and trailers, rubber and plastics and shipbuilding.
2. The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 require employers to:
3. The Noise at Work Regulations 2005 require employers to:
All enquiries from journalists should be directed to the HSE Press Office
