Health checks for employees exposed to hand-arm vibration. We’ll help you put a practical surveillance programme in place around your tools, workforce and working patterns.
Regular use of vibrating tools can affect the nerves, blood vessels and joints in the hands and arms. HAVS surveillance helps identify early signs of ill health so employees can receive advice and employers can review exposure and controls.
It supports your wider approach to managing vibration risk; it does not replace steps to reduce exposure.
Your programme is aligned to roles, tools, exposure data and your vibration risk assessment—not a generic screening process.
On-site, mobile and clinic options help minimise travel, downtime and disruption across single or multiple locations.
Receive relevant workplace outcomes and practical recommendations that help your team understand what action may be needed.
Coordinate HAVS with other relevant health-surveillance services to simplify planning and reduce administration.
Employers must provide health surveillance for employees who remain likely to be regularly exposed above the Exposure Action Value despite controls, or who are considered at risk for another reason. Your vibration risk assessment helps determine who should be included.
Suitable surveillance may be appropriate for employees who:
Are likely to be regularly exposed at or above the Exposure Action Value
May occasionally exceed the Exposure Action Value where the risk assessment identifies a health risk
Have a diagnosis of HAVS or another factor that increases their vulnerability, even where exposure is lower
Use vibrating tools frequently, for prolonged periods or across varied work activities
If you’re unsure where to start, tell us which tools your teams use, how often they use them and what you already know about exposure. We’ll help you plan an appropriate approach.
A programme usually starts with a questionnaire about symptoms and vibration exposure, followed by regular reviews. If an employee reports symptoms or a concern is identified, a suitably qualified clinician can carry out a more detailed assessment and advise on next steps.
Baseline questionnaires – Capturing relevant exposure history, symptoms and health information when someone starts vibration-exposed work or joins the programme.
Clinical assessment – More detailed assessment of the hands and arms where symptoms, concerns or higher-risk findings are identified.
Staging and classification – Where appropriate, assessing the severity and nature of symptoms to inform management decisions and clinical follow-up.
Further investigation or referral – Arranging additional assessment where clinically indicated.
Our clinicians guide employees through the process, explain what to expect and keep their health information confidential. Employers receive the outcome information and practical recommendations needed to manage workplace action appropriately.
We can arrange assessments at your workplace, through mobile medical units or at clinic appointments. Together, we’ll choose a delivery approach that suits your sites, shifts and the number of people who need checks.
Where relevant, HAVS surveillance can also be coordinated with other workplace health checks to make scheduling easier.
We bring the service to your workplace, helping reduce travel and making attendance easier to manage around operational schedules.
Flexible capacity for larger programmes, dispersed workforces, temporary sites and multi-location operations.
Clinic access for individual assessments, follow-up requirements, smaller workforces or employees who cannot attend site-based sessions.
Where workers face more than one occupational-health risk, HAVS surveillance can be coordinated with other relevant services. This can simplify scheduling, reduce duplicated administration and make it easier to plan workforce health activity across the year.
Employees receive information about their assessment and any recommended follow-up. Employers receive appropriate fitness-for-work advice and workplace recommendations to help them manage vibration exposure. Confidential clinical records remain with the healthcare professional.
Following HAVS assessments, Clarity provides:
A clear HAVS outcome (including stage, where applicable)
Advice on exposure control, restrictions or adjustments
Recommendations for further investigation or specialist referral where needed
Aggregate information to help you understand trends and refine your vibration‑control strategy
If results raise concerns, we’ll help you understand what further assessment may be needed and which workplace controls should be reviewed.
Whether you’re starting surveillance for the first time or reviewing an existing programme, we’ll help you work out a practical next step for your workforce.
HAVS health surveillance is an ongoing programme of health checks for employees exposed to hand-transmitted vibration. It is designed to identify early signs of Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome and other vibration-related health concerns, so employers can review exposure and controls before problems become more serious.
Suitable health surveillance should be provided where employees are likely to be regularly exposed to hand-arm vibration above the daily Exposure Action Value of 2.5 m/s2 A(8), where they may occasionally exceed that level and the risk assessment identifies a health risk, or where they have an existing HAVS diagnosis or other particular vulnerability.
Workers who use vibrating tools or equipment may need HAVS surveillance. This can include employees using breakers, grinders, drills, impact wrenches, chainsaws, compactors and hand-guided machinery across industries such as construction, engineering, utilities, manufacturing, maintenance, forestry and landscaping.
Assessments typically include a questionnaire covering symptoms, work history and vibration exposure. Depending on the outcome, this may be followed by a more detailed clinical assessment of circulation, sensation, dexterity and hand or arm function, with further investigation or referral where clinically indicated.
Frequency should be based on the employee’s vibration exposure, role, symptoms and previous findings. Many programmes include a baseline assessment followed by periodic reviews, commonly annually, with more frequent follow-up where risks or early changes are identified.
If early signs are identified, an occupational health professional will consider appropriate follow-up. This may include reviewing exposure, strengthening controls and work practices, applying temporary restrictions or adjustments, arranging further clinical assessment, or referral where needed.
Clarity provides HAVS surveillance nationwide through on-site delivery, mobile medical units and clinic appointments. We will help you choose a delivery method that works around your sites, shifts and workforce availability.
Yes. HAVS surveillance information is handled under clinical-governance and data-protection arrangements. Employees’ medical information remains confidential, while managers receive appropriate outcome and workplace-action information rather than full clinical records.
Tell us a little about your workforce and what you need help with. We’ll call you back to talk through your options and the most practical way to deliver them.
Tell us your workforce size, locations and main risks. We’ll recommend a practical delivery model and respond within one working day.
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