Tools like jackhammers, drills, woodworking equipment, chipping tools, grinders, chainsaws, and other vibrating equipment can be hazardous in several different ways.

Employees can be injured by contact with moving parts and cutting surfaces. Some of these tools can also be very loud, and prolonged exposure to noise can damage hearing. The flying chips and particles many of these tools generate are eye hazards as well.

And there’s another serious danger: It’s the risk that workers could develop HAVS, or hand-arm vibration syndrome.

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Doctors know HAVS as Raynaud’s Syndrome, and your employees may call it “white finger” or “dead finger.” But whatever name you use, HAVS is a big safety problem for employees who use vibrating tools.

HAVS of the hands happens when blood vessels in the fingers collapse as a result of repeated exposure to vibration. Skin and muscle tissues in the hands then don’t get enough oxygen and eventually die. In advanced stages of the disease the entire hand and arm can be affected. Early signs of HAVS include:

• Numbness and/or tingling in the fingers, hands, or arms
• Whiteness in the tips of the fingers when exposed to cold
• Trouble buttoning or zipping clothes, or difficulty picking up small objects 

As the problem gets worse, workers usually experience more frequent attacks of numbness, tingling, and pain, and find it ever more difficult to use their hands.

Engineer vibration out: OSHA says that vibration isolators or damping techniques on equipment can offer effective protection against vibration exposure and HAVS. Vibration isolation mounts may work with some equipment.

Damping techniques can also be effective, and many manufacturers offer tools equipped with vibration-damping materials. Purchase equipment that controls vibration to the maximum degree possible. Ask manufacturers for proof that their vibration-damping designs are effective. And if your maintenance staff applies damping materials to tools, OSHA says that a good rule of thumb is that the damping layer should be the same thickness as the surface being treated.

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Stand firm on safe work practices: Safe work practices can also help protect employees from HAVS and other vibrating tool hazards. For example:

• Have employees use non-vibrating tools instead of vibrating equipment whenever possible.
• Maintain vibrating equipment in good operating condition. Unbalanced rotating parts, dull cutting tools, and so on can increase the amount of vibration.
• Arrange work tasks so that workers can alternate between using vibrating and non-vibrating tools.
• Restrict the number of hours a worker uses vibrating tools during the workday.
• Allow employees to take 10 to 15 minute breaks from the source of vibration every hour.
• Instruct employees to keep hands warm and dry, and not to grip vibrating tools too tightly. If they let the tool do the work, instead of apply force, there’s less risk of injury.
• Make sure employees keep alert to laceration and amputation hazards. Operators of any hazardous equipment should always know where both their hands are positioned while working.
• Require employees to wear appropriate PPE such as eye and hearing protection, and work gloves, especially when working in the cold. (Cold can increase the risk of HAVS.)
• Instruct employees to report any HAVS symptoms promptly to their supervisor and seek medical treatment.