Clock ticking on vibration-hazard rule change

London - UK companies using abrasive products in their workplace have less than 12 months left to comply with legislation introduced in 2005 requiring them to limit their employees’ exposure to vibration, 3M has warned.

Under the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005, employers must take action to ensure their staff are not exposed to a daily ‘exposure action value’ above 2.5m/s2 - as opposed to 2.8m2 previously – or an overall exposure limit value of 5m/s2, to reduce the risk of Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS).

For equipment purchased before 6 July 2007, the new daily vibration levels under the 2005 Regulations do not come into force until 6 July 2010, but 3M is advising companies to act now to ensure vibration levels for all equipment comply with the Regulations and that companies are working fully in line with all aspects of the Regulations by that date.

HAVS manifests itself in a variety of symptoms, the most common of these being Vibration White Finger (VWF), a whitening of the fingers which can lead to circulatory, joint, muscle and nerve problems. HAVS is most likely to occur among employees working in foundries, heavy industry or metal product manufacturing, where regular use of grinding equipment and other tools may expose operators to higher levels of vibration.

Vibration is measured using a sensor that is placed on the tool or part where the operator normally holds it, and is calculated by summing the accelerations measured along the three principal axes, with limits calculated by averaging the exposure over an eight-hour period.

“Since 2005, companies have been able to allow their employees to use older equipment which may cause vibration above the level prescribed by the 2005 Regulations," said Nigel Willcock, technical service specialist for 3M’s abrasive systems division. "But, the clock is now ticking down to the time when equipment may need to be replaced if it does not meet the limits prescribed in the regulations."

Willcock points out that there are now products on the market that can reduce vibration to acceptable limits without any negative impact on quality or productivity. In the area of abrasives, he said, these include flexible grinding discs, which offer increased flexibility and better balance characteristics and so significantly reduce vibration, and coated abrasive belts, which deliver a fast cut and more consistent finish, so providing a lower-vibration alternative to grinding wheels.