Vibration White Finger - Compensation For a Preventable Workplace Injury

mer motor worker for Fords Motor Company Ltdcondition. Again, the effects have always been
has received £8,500 in compensation afterknown, but it took legislation for employers to
his hands were left permanently damaged fromtake their responsibilities towards their workforce
using vibrating tools at work. The man worked asmore seriously rather than just treating VWF as
a toolmaker for over 30 years for the companyan ‘occupational hazard’. The
and as a result of continued use of power toolsvictim in this claim was still working in an
developed the condition known as Hand Armenvironment where the condition was perhaps
Vibration Syndrome (HAVS). This condition, alsoknown about, but not officially recognised as a
known as Vibration White Finger, is classed as anwork-place injury. Today, things are very
industrial injury that affects people operatingdifferent and repeated campaigns by the Health
hand-held vibrating power tools over a prolongedand Safety Executive highlighting the effects of
period such as power drills, chainsaws andVWF have made employers far more aware of
pneumatic drills. The injury leads to nervetheir responsibilities to both inform and protect
damage, resulting in poor circulation thattheir workforce against the effects of the
compounds the damage to small nerves and bloodcondition. An increase in the number of Vibration
vessels in the extremities and can eventually leadWhite Finger Claims has also seen an increase in
to loss of function.safety.
Under the Control of Vibration at WorkAlthough not a life-threatening condition, HAVS is
Regulations 2005, employers are required tonow classed as an industrial injury and those
make a suitable and sufficient assessment of thesuffering from its effects do have the right to
risk to health and safety to their employeesclaim compensation if they feel that they have
arising from the prolonged use of power tools.been unnecessarily exposed to the dangers of
One in ten people who regularly use power toolsprolonged use of tools that can cause the
are at risk of developing the condition. The man,condition. It is a preventable condition, although in
who retired nine years ago from the company,an engineering or heavy industry environment,
said that he had never been told of the potentialthere will always be risks. It is up to the
dangers by his employers. However, up until theemployers to take their duty of care towards
introduction of the Regulations in 2005, employerstheir employees seriously and to do everything
took a rather lax attitude to the condition, seeingthat they can to reduce the risks involved,
it as ‘just one of those hazards’particularly when using heavy machinery. The
that all workers could be vulnerable to. Theclassification of VWF and HAVS as an industrial
implementation of the Regulations broughtinjury is an important step in enforcing that duty
much-needed attention to the condition, which canof care responsibility in any environment and
have a lifelong effect on those suffering fromhighlighting the situation through compensation
HAVS.claims not only ensures that those who have
Since the Regulations were brought into effect,been effected receive the compensation they
far more research has been carried out into thedeserve, but will also prevent others from
effects of Vibration White Finger and HAVS and itsuffering the same fate in future.
has been recognised as a serious and debilitating