WHAT
I
DO TO CONTROL THE RISK?
CAN
There are many things you can do, several of which may cost very little and could also
improve productivity and product quality, for example:
▼ Look for alternative ways of working which eliminate the vibrating equipment
altogether.
▼ Make sure your employees use the most appropriate equipment for each job
(inappropriate equipment may take longer to do the job or vibrate more).
▼ Minimise the time individuals use the equipment, eg job rotation.
▼ Break up periods of continuous equipment use by individuals (introduce other tasks).
▼ Design the job so that poor posture (which may cause strain on hands and arms) is avoided.
▼ Construct jigs to hold materials or tools.
▼ Maintain tools to the manufacturer's specifications to avoid worsening vibration. For
example:
replace vibration mounts before they are worn out;
▼
ensure rotating parts are checked for balance and replace them if necessary;
▼
keep tools sharp.
▼
▼ Get advice from your trade association on best practice.
▼ Get advice from the equipment manufacturer on safe use of the equipment.
▼ Introduce a purchasing policy specifying low vibration performance for new
equipment (see `Buying new equipment - some useful tips').
▼ Mechanise or automate the work or change the way of working.
▼ Ask the manufacturer to add anti-vibration mounts to isolate the operator from the
vibration source.
10
▼ Provide tool support to take the weight of the tool (eg tensioners or balancers)
allowing the operator to reduce grip and feed force.