Something for employers to think about HAVS

[openspaceman]

Council fined £250,000 for not protecting workers’ health | Media centre - HSE

 

At first it was firms employing people with breakers, descalers and mining equipment but now it looks like our industry is coming under scrutiny.

 

It is relatively easy to monitor and prove levels are acceptable for saws, strimmers and hedge cutters with a simple hour meter and published figures for the machines, I do wonder about pedestrian controlled stump grinders.

[Haironyourchest]

The latest anti vibe gear almost eliminates vibration, but I've noticed that the tools, strimmers and the like, marketed at the tool hire/council sector are not fitted with the good anti vibes - cost no doubt. The gloves do nothing. Should be easy enough to retrofit mowers and stump grinders with anti vibe grips - proper ones I mean, not just silicone tape.

[markieg31]

I think it is something that more employers should take more seriously.

Annual testing of tools s not a bad idea as the published figures have little correlation to a used tool, a lot of it comes down to servicing ensuring blades are sharp etc. The worst culprits i generally come across are hedge trimmers, once the blades have a nick in them they vibrate like mad.

[treequip]

 

but now it looks like our industry is coming under scrutiny.

 

I do wonder about pedestrian controlled stump grinders.

 

Its been a known and recognised industry issue in tree work for more than a decade. Some of these bulletins go way back, here is a google search for you, WBVS (grinders) is also mentioned

 

https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=havs+tree+work

[openspaceman]

Its been a known and recognised industry issue in tree work for more than a decade. Some of these bulletins go way back, here is a google search for you, WBVS (grinders) is also mentioned

 

I have been well aware of the problem as have many others but the penalties now are great and retrospective.

 

I had the job of demonstrating a simple vibration activated hour meter which was not onerous to use on a saw but the operators would not use it and my boss would not enforce its use, the case I quoted is an example of how unwise this will be when those same workers have problems.

 

When I started it was not standard to wear a hat, muffs or visor (but I did and still suffer with tinnitus), leg protection was not thought of. It would not be prudent for an employer not to provide these now and in a similar vein it is not prudent not to monitor machinery for HAVS.

[openspaceman]

I think it is something that more employers should take more seriously.

Annual testing of tools s not a bad idea as the published figures have little correlation to a used tool, a lot of it comes down to servicing ensuring blades are sharp etc. The worst culprits i generally come across are hedge trimmers, once the blades have a nick in them they vibrate like mad.

 

I agree the point about hedge trimmers being worse for vibration, I'm not sure it is practical for one to test the vibration levels of a machine, I think it is acceptable to use manufacturers published data and then just record the hours the tool is operating, then extrapolating from this the actual exposure at each handle.

 

From the time I used the meter with an ms261 on track clearing sight lines I found I was well within limits but only used a tankful of fuel. I'm not sure the same would have been true when pulp cutting in the past when I'd use 7 tankfuls a day with a bigger (and less modern) saw.

[markieg31]

Trouble is published data is not always available.. had a tanka head trimmer tested, 1 year old machine, and you would get your daily dose of vibes in just 15mins. So in theory you can not use any vibrating equipment that day.

 

Sent from my SM-G900F using Arbtalk mobile app

[openspaceman]

Trouble is published data is not always available.. had a tanka head trimmer tested, 1 year old machine, and you would get your daily dose of vibes in just 15mins. So in theory you can not use any vibrating equipment that day.

 

Sent from my SM-G900F using Arbtalk mobile app

 

That's bad, need to find another hedge trimmer then.

[markieg31]

This is for a LA mind not me personally. They replaced them with stihl hs81 great hedge trimmer and smooth to use but that was only 4hr max daily use.

 

Sent from my SM-G900F using Arbtalk mobile app

[Notmegov]

This is for a LA mind not me personally. They replaced them with stihl hs81 great hedge trimmer and smooth to use but that was only 4hr max daily use.

 

Sent from my SM-G900F using Arbtalk mobile app

Trigger time though I presume?

 

 

Sent from my SM-J510FN using Arbtalk mobile app