History of HAVS

• Early 19th Century

  After the introduction of pneumatic tools in French mines early in the 19th century, Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome began to be reported in the mine workers.

• 1862

  Primary Raynaud's Phenomenon (Raynaud's Disease) was identified in 1862 by. Dr Maurice Raynaud. He also wrote thesis on "Local Asphyxia and Symmetrical Gangrene of the Extremities" which identified the clinical condition of "dead hand" better known as "white finger".

• 1911

  It was in 1911 when Professor Loriga first reported vascular spasm in the hands of Italian miners using pneumatic tools

• 1940's 1950'

  Awareness of Secondary Raynaud's phenomenon (more recently described as HAVS) and its causes grew as early as during the 1940s and 1950s.

• 1972

  Dr. William Taylor hosted the 1st International Hand-Arm Vibration Conference in Dundee, Scotland in 1972. He wanted to establish an international forum to publicly present and discuss the results of research that addressed the medical, epidemiological, engineering, and legal aspects of HAVS.

• 1974

  Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 section 2.1 states “It is the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all employees”. The duty is put on employers to keep workers safe.

• 1975

  Dr. Pelmear is an internationally known medical expert in the area of hand-arm vibration syndrome and with his colleague, Dr. William Taylor, developed the first medical classification scale for people afflicted with HAVS, known as the Taylor-Pelmear Scale; this scale is used world-wide. Dr. Pelmear is the author of two HAVS books as well as numerous publications and book chapters on HAVS.

• 1977

  The Guide “Protection of Workers against Noise and Vibration in the Working Environment” was published by the International Labour Office.

• 1980

  Vibration White Finger became a prescribed industrial disease following the research paper published for the Health & Safety Executive by Professor Mike Griffin of Southampton University

• 1982

  The Social Security Act recognises Carpel Tunnel Syndrome associated with the use of vibrating tools as a prescribed industrial disease.

• 1986

  Introduction of Internal Standards Organisation (ISO) 5349 Mechanical Vibration – Guidelines for the Measurement and the assessment of Exposure to Hand Transmitted Vibration.

• 1987

  British Standards Council publishes BS6842 establishing guidelines and preventative measures to reduce employees developing HAVS also the Stockholm Workshop 86 (1987) introduces a staging scale for progression of HAVS.

• 1990

  It was in the early 1990s, the statutory Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) re-examined the prescription for Vibration White Finger, and was concerned that the prescription did not reflect the nerve (neurological) damage involved, only looking at the blood vessel (vascular) damage. This is often described as the difference between VWF (mostly a vascular disease) and HAVS (which includes the neurological component). Unions representing mineworkers fought a long legal battle with British Coal in the 1990s to secure civil compensation for miners who were affected by HAVS.

• 1992

  Introduction of Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations requiring employers to carry out assessments of any risk to the health and safety of their employees and establish appropriate control measures to minimise the risk. Where risk can not be eliminated the employer has a duty to provide information and training about the risk and carry out health surveillance (MHSWR). Supply of Machinery Safety Regulations 1992. (SMSR) requires manufacturers to provide information of vibration levels of hand held or guided tools which are likely to subject operators to vibration levels (Ah, w) that exceed 2.5 m/s2.

• 1994

  The Health & Safety Executive publishes its generic guidance on Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome HSG 88

• 1995

  In 1985 a requirement for employers to report vibration white finger was introduced under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR).

• 1997

  It war in 1997 that the HSE first published a book of vibration-reduction case studies. The interim results from current research, indicate that the numbers of people exposed to high levels of vibration may exceed 1 million. It was on the 30 September 1997 that the High Court awarded £127,000 compensation for Vibration White Finger to 7 miners with 12,500 more cases in the pipeline

• 1998

  Phase 3 of HSE's Good Health is Good Business began in Spring 1998 and encourages better management of the risks from HAVS.

• 2002

  It was on June 25th 2002 that the legislation for the minimum Health and Safety requirement regarding the exposure of workers to the risks arising from physical agents (vibration) was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. Member States then had 3 Years from 6 July 2002 to implement the Directive.
  

• 2003

  UK Parliament debate the issue of Vibration White Finger the and prevalence of HAVS in occupations outside the prescribed list of occupations. read more ....

• 2005

  July 2005 Physical Agents (Vibration) Directive (2002/44/EC) reduces vibration threshold exposures to lower levels (Threshold level 1 m/s2, Action level 2.5 m/s2, Ceiling level 5 m/s2) read more....