Hand Advice Helpline

Employers are under a duty of care to protect their employees against the effects of working with industrial power tools by means of:

  • Warning employees that such tools can injure them and cause a nerve condition;
  • Undertaking regular health checks;
  • Ensuring that the tools used are safe, suitable and well maintained;
  • Rotating the industrial working if there is a risk of injury.

Where this has not been adhered to employees are at risk of developing Vibration White Finger (VWF) and Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS).

Vibration White Finger and Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome are industrial injuries triggered by continuous use of vibrating hand-held machinery.

The symptoms of VWF and HAVS include:

  • Tingling fingers;
  • Loss of grip;
  • Condition worsens in cold weather;
  • Whitening of the ends of the fingers;
  • Struggle to pick up small objects.

Vibration of the hand held tools used can cause a nerve condition where the ends of the fingers turn white and impair the blood circulation.

Hundreds of thousands of workers have used industrial power tools and been exposed to vibration at work.

If you have any of the Vibration White Finger Syndrome symptoms from exposure to industrial power tools, you should seek compensation.

DID YOU KNOW ?...

In the 1970's it was recognised that vibrating industrial power tools could cause Vibration White Finger Syndrome.
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