Hand-Arm Vibration Toolbox Talk
Using vibrating tools for long periods can permanently damage the nerves, blood vessels and joints in your hands. It starts with tingling and numbness and can end with fingers that go white and lose their grip. Once it sets in, it does not go away.
Takes about 6 minutes, plus a 5-question quiz.
Key points to read out
- High vibration tools include breakers, rotary hammers, needle guns, grinders, concrete pokers and plate compactors.
- Warning signs: tingling, pins and needles, numbness, losing grip, and fingers going white in the cold.
- Use other methods where you can, such as a crusher, a breaker on an excavator, or diamond drilling instead of hammering.
- Choose low vibration tools and keep them maintained. Blunt bits and worn parts vibrate more.
- Limit trigger time and rotate the job between workers.
- Know your trigger time. A high vibration tool can use up a safe day's exposure in well under an hour.
- Trigger time is only the time the tool is actually running against the work, and it is usually far less than people guess. Time it on a normal day.
- Let the tool do the work. Grip lightly and do not force it.
- Use anti-vibration mounts, handles and sharp, matched bits. Report a tool that vibrates more than normal so it can be fixed.
- Anti-vibration gloves do little to stop vibration. Their real job is keeping your hands warm and dry.
- Keep your hands warm and dry. Cold makes vibration damage worse.
- Smoking cuts blood flow to the fingers and makes vibration damage more likely.
- Report symptoms early. Regular users may need health checks.
Questions to ask the crew
- Which tools on this job vibrate the most?
- How long are we using them each day?
- Has anyone had tingling or numb fingers after work?
- Is there a lower vibration way to do today's job?
- Who keeps track of trigger time on this job, and how?
How to run this talk
- Hold the talk with the highest vibration tools for this job laid out in front of the crew.
- Read the vibration figure off one tool and work out how long it can be used in a day.
- Ask each person to estimate their trigger time today, then agree how it will be timed or logged.
- Ask whether anyone has tingling, numbness or white fingers, and explain how to report it privately.
- Agree one lower vibration method for today's work, such as a breaker on an excavator.
- Record attendance and any health surveillance follow ups on the sign-in sheet.
Hand-Arm Vibration quiz
Ask these after the talk. Answers are underneath each question.
Which of these is an early warning sign of hand-arm vibration syndrome?
- Tingling and numbness in the fingers
- A sore back
- Ringing in the ears
Answer: A. Tingling, numbness and fingers going white in the cold are the first signs, and they get worse if exposure carries on.
What counts as your trigger time?
- Your whole shift
- Only the time the tool is actually running against the work
- The time the tool is plugged in
Answer: B. Exposure builds only while the tool runs on the work, and people usually overestimate it, so time it on a normal day.
What are the daily exposure values for hand-arm vibration?
- There are no limits, so use the tool as long as you like
- Keep exposure as low as you can and follow the tool's vibration data and your employer's limits
- Only stop when your hands go numb
Answer: B. Exposure limits depend on the tool's vibration level and how long you use it, so your employer should set a daily trigger time.
Do anti-vibration gloves protect you from vibration damage?
- Yes, fully
- Not much; their real value is keeping your hands warm and dry
- Only if you wear two pairs
Answer: B. Gloves do little to cut the vibration reaching your hands, but warm, dry hands are less likely to be damaged.
Your breaker is vibrating more than usual. What do you do?
- Grip it harder
- Report it so it can be checked and fixed, and swap to a maintained tool
- Keep going until the job is done
Answer: B. Worn parts and blunt bits increase vibration, and gripping harder pushes more of it into your hands.
Questions about hand-arm vibration
What are the legal limits for hand-arm vibration?
Rules differ by country, and many places have no specific numeric limit, relying instead on the general duty to control risks. Your employer should use the tool's vibration data to set safe daily trigger times.
How do you work out vibration exposure?
Multiply how long the tool actually runs against the work by its vibration level, using the manufacturer's data or measured values. A high vibration tool can use up a safe day's exposure in well under an hour.
What are the first signs of hand-arm vibration syndrome?
Tingling, pins and needles and numbness in the fingers, often after using tools or at night, are the first signs. Later the fingers can go white in the cold and you can lose grip and feeling. Report symptoms early, because the damage is permanent once it sets in.
Do anti-vibration gloves work?
Not reliably. Most gloves do little to reduce the vibration that reaches your hands, and some can make you grip harder. Their real value is keeping your hands warm and dry, which helps blood flow.
Sign-in sheet
Print this page or download the sign-in sheet. Or run it in the app and the crew signs on the phone.
| Name | Company | Signature |
|---|---|---|
Get it signed
Run this talk in the app. The crew signs on your phone and you get a dated attendance record as a PDF.