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Workplace Monitoring
Hand Arm Vibration
Regular use of hand-held vibrating
tools can cause a condition known as 'Hand Arm Vibration
Syndrome' (HAVS). Regular exposure to HAV can cause a
range of injuries with the most common type being 'Vibration
White Finger'. The HSE estimate that 2 million workers
are exposed to levels of vibration where there are clear
risks of developing disease, with some 3000 new claims
for disability benefit each year.
In July 2005, the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations
2005 came into force, which set action values and exposure
limit values for hand arm vibration and require employers
to assess and control the vibration risks.
ACS are able to offer measurement,
assessment and management of hand-arm vibration risk.
A monitoring and assessment programme would be undertaken
to identify, measure and assess the likely hand-arm vibration
exposures of operatives. Key elements of the assessment
process would include the identification of potentially
hazardous operations, the collection of data on 'risk
factors' associated with the operations, the monitoring
of occupational exposures to hand-transmitted vibration
and risk reduction measures.
Noise
Every workplace
has a certain level of noise associated with it, whether
it is machinery related or just background noise. For
170,000 people in the UK, workplace noise is more than
just a nuisance: it is a serious cause of ill-health.
Workplace noise is currently governed by the Noise at
Work Regulations 1989 which require employers to assess
and control the noise related risks.
The noise assessment package which
ACS carries out includes the following: personal and background
monitoring, identification of hearing protection zones
and suggestion of methods of reducing noise in the workplace.
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
(COSHH)
Under the Control of Substances Hazardous
to Health Regulations 2002, a suitable and sufficient
risk assessment must be undertaken where employees carry
out any work with hazardous substances. Hazardous substances
include dusts, vapours, gases and biological agents and
exposure by inhalation, skin contact or ingestion can
occur in a wide range of occupations.
ACS staff have particular expertise in undertaking full
COSHH Assessments, which investigate employee exposure
profiles, the adequacy of existing control measures and
available further controls as well as Occupational Exposure
Monitoring, which involves measuring employees' actual
exposures by inhalation for comparison with statutory
limit values.
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