Hand Arm Vibration: Protecting Your Hands

Frequent tingling or white fingers mean you are using vibrating tools for too long.

Why this matters

Using tools like grinders, drills, and jackhammers causes vibration to travel into your hands. This vibration can slowly damage the nerves and blood vessels in your fingers. This condition is among the most common causes of permanent hand damage for industrial workers.
If the damage becomes serious, it is often permanent. You might lose the strength in your hands or struggle to pick up small objects like coins or nails. You might even lose the ability to feel heat and cold in your fingers entirely.

Talking points

Check the trigger time on your tool. This is the total time the tool is actually running and vibrating in your hands.
Take regular breaks from vibrating tools. Swap tasks with a teammate who is doing work that does not involve vibration.
Do not grip the tool too hard. Holding it with a tight grip allows more vibration to enter your hands and causes damage faster.
Only use well maintained tools. Equipment that is old, blunt, or poorly serviced often vibrates much more than it should.
Keep your hands warm and dry. Cold skin reduces blood flow to your fingers, which makes them more likely to be damaged by vibration.
Look for early signs: Tingling, numbness, or fingers turning white when they are wet or cold. Report these signs to the medic or HSE immediately.

Ask the crew

Which tool in your daily kit vibrates the most?
What should you do if your fingers start feeling like pins and needles after a shift?
How can we rotate tasks today to make sure no one is on a vibrating tool for too long?

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