Symptoms include any combination of:
not being able to feel things properly; loss of strength in the hands; fingers going white (blanching) and becoming red and painful on recovery (particularly in the cold and wet, and probably only in the fingertips at first).
Stage 1 - mild, with only occasional attacks affecting the tips of one or more fingers. Stage 2 - moderate, with occasional attacks affecting the distal or middle phalanges of one or more fingers. Stage 3 - severe, with frequent attacks affecting all phalanges of most fingers.
The signs and symptoms include numbness, pain, and blanching (turning pale and ashen). Of particular concern is evidence of advanced stages of vibration syndrome after exposures as short as one year.
Is there a treatment for HAVS? In general, HAVS is irreversible and there is no effective treatment or cure. Medications can sometimes be effective in reducing the frequency and severity of blanching attacks, and anti-inflammatory medications can be used to reduce pain symptoms.
The tests commence with a measure of grip strength and finger dexterity. Neurological tests involve the determination of vibrotactile perception thresholds (using the HVLab Vibrotactile Perception Meter) and thermotactile perception thresholds for hot and cold (using the HVLab Thermal Aesthesiometer).
It would be unusual for you to develop hand-arm vibration syndrome unless you had used vibrating tools for at least ten years.
Improve the design of workstations to minimise loads on employees' hands, wrists and arms caused by poor posture. Use devices such as jigs and suspension systems to reduce the need to grip heavy tools tightly.
It can be caused by operating hand-held power tools, such as road breakers, and hand-guided equipment, such as powered lawnmowers, or by holding materials being processed by machines, such as pedestal grinders.
One of the first signs of HAVS you might notice is tingling in your fingers or hands. It might come and go, and you may notice it more at night or after using vibrating equipment.
Vibration can cause changes in tendons, muscles, bones and joints, and can affect the nervous system. Collectively, these effects are known as Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS). Workers affected by HAVS commonly report: attacks of whitening (blanching) of one or more fingers when exposed to cold.
Tier 3 – If an employee declares vibration-related symptoms a Tier 3 assessment will be carried out by a HAVS qualified nurse. This includes taking a detailed history and physical tests that assess the vascular and the nervous system of the hands.
The Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome is primarily caused by the use of vibrating hand-held tools, for instance, pneumatic jackhammers, drills, gas powered chain saws and electrical tools such as grinders. Such tools involve vibration which is transferred form the tool to the hands and arms of the person holding the tool.
Hand-arm vibration syndrome is a common occupational disease that affects workers in multiple industries.
Excessive use of vibrating tools can lead to a variety of conditions in the hands and arms, generically described as HAVS – Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome. HAVS can be painful and cannot be cured, it can however be prevented.
Ensure cutting tools are kept sharp. Reduce continuous time spent on tools emitting vibration by doing other jobs in between. Avoid gripping tools that emit vibration more than necessary. Encourage good blood circulation by keeping warm and dry, stopping smoking and massaging and exercising fingers during breaks.
Early signs that you are experiencing sensory nerve damage from vibration include numbness or tingling in one or more of your fingers. This sensation might come and go, and could be mild, but severe cases can lead to permanent numbness.
Vibration Levels
The greater the exposure level, the greater the risk and the more action employers will need to take to reduce the risk. For hand-arm vibration the EAV is a daily exposure of 2.5 m/s2 A(8).
In the U.S. alone about 2.5 million workers are exposed daily to Hand-Arm Vibration (HAV) from the power tools they use on-their-jobs.
It's also important to remember that these are daily exposure limits. They are averaged over 8 hours because that is a standard work shift, but it doesn't mean that every 8 hours you can restart your vibration allowance. If you are going to be exposed for 10 hours, you still need to stay below the 8-hour average limit.
You can claim compensation for Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) if it can be proven that your employer regularly exposed you to a harmful level of vibration at work. This will often have been through the consistent use of equipment such as pneumatic drills, jackhammers and grinders.
It is not usually possible to assess the vibration reduction provided in use by anti-vibration gloves, so you should not generally rely on them to provide protection from vibration. However, gloves and other warm clothing can be useful to protect vibration-exposed workers from cold, helping to maintain circulation.
Sudden numbness in one or both arms may be a sign of a heart attack, stroke, or nerve damage, especially if a person has other symptoms. People who experience arm numbness and weakness on one side of the body that precedes a severe headache may have a rare type of migraine called hemiplegic migraine.