Download PDF (2.3MB) - Safequarry.com

occupational health: 69
Reducing hand arm vibration exposure
Tarmac Group > Wolverhampton, West Midlands > 01902 382855
As the second most commonplace industrial disease within the Tarmac Group, hand arm vibration
exposure poses some serious challenges. Tarmac has been looking to control the risk of pneumatic
powered breakers in particular.
The company has been working with GE Equipment Services to develop a small Tractaire fitted with a
hydraulic breaker on a remote arm. Exposure to hand arm vibration is reduced by 80 per cent for break-out
work; manual handling is eliminated entirely; noise levels are reduced dramatically; and there is no danger
of whiplash injuries from pneumatic hoses parting.
The main disadvantage is that operators are unable to gain access to all work areas, but this is being
addressed through the development of a revised version with an integral portable hydraulic breaker.
>
Hand arm vibration – addressing the risks
Lafarge Aggregates > Lafarge Contracting, Leicestershire > 0116 230 4041
When Lafarge Contracting conducted a thorough survey of plant and equipment to
identify and categorise the exposure rates, it decided that more needed to be done to raise
awareness about – and hopefully reduce – hand arm vibration.
award
winner
The safety department at this Mountsorrel site was set a number of tasks, which it responded to with the
following changes:
• purchasing improved equipment, such as a replacement for the heavy duty breaker and a vibration
meter
• reviewing current work methods and amending to reduce operatives’ exposure to hand arm vibration
• identifying those in the workforce who may have symptoms of hand arm vibration and carrying out
further medical examinations and monitoring with the help of an occupational medical company
• developing a toolbox talk
• developing a training package
• making presentations at national safety days.
>
Safety boots with metatarsal protection
Tarmac Western > Herefordshire > 01544 230711
As a result of a lost-time incident when a jackhammer
was inadvertently operated on an operative’s foot, Tarmac
Northern National Contracting has introduced site safety
boots with metatarsal protection.
Whereas traditional safety boots with steel toe-caps do not
completely protect the top of the foot, the new boots provide
additional protection to the operative’s feet from impact from
above, such as that of a heavy object dropped during handling.
Each pair of boots costs approximately £53, compared to
approximately £30 for a pair of standard boots.