The costs of managing Hand-Arm Vibration risks can be reduced very substantially by introducing an effective "likely condition based" maintenance programme. We have used field vibration values for thousands of tools to generate statistics showing maintenance affects vibration. Standard breakers or rivet guns, for example, show little difference between the vibration from “as new” tools and that from old, worn tools. In contrast, poorly maintained angle grinders or leaf blowers generate several times the vibration of well maintained units (see graphic of the statistical spread of vibration levels).
This information can be used to improve your tool maintenance programme by concentrating resources only on those tools that pose the greatest risk if they are not well maintained to reduce the risk of HAVS.
