Managing hand-arm vibration is key to maintaining a great workplace culture, whereby understanding effects and limits of hand-arm and whole-body vibration, you can ensure you're minimising the risk to employees/ others.

​

Exposure Limit Values & Action Values

4.—(1) For hand-arm vibration

(a)the daily exposure limit value is 5 m/s2 A(8);
(b)the daily exposure action value is 2.5 m/s2 A(8),
 

and daily exposure shall be ascertained on the basis set out in Schedule 1 Part I.
 

(2) For whole body vibration
 

(a)the daily exposure limit value is 1.15 m/s2 A(8);

(b)the daily exposure action value is 0.5 m/s2 A(8),

​

​​​

​Hand-Arm Vibration & Whole-Body Vibration Calculators (available).

​

Media Link: Click Here (read more here)

​​

​

Managing noise levels onsite, through decorative, engineering and via distancing measures, will significantly aid in reducing exposure towards employees/ people nearby (inc environment effects).

With hearing being a vital part of being able to navigate through our day-to-day lives, its essential, people aren't exposed, in-turn enabling communications to be held without shouting or being a nuisance.

Exposure Limit Values & Action Values

4. (1) The lower exposure action values are:

(a)a daily or weekly personal noise exposure of 80 dB (A-weighted); and

(b)a peak sound pressure of 135 dB (C-weighted).

(2) The upper exposure action values are:

(a)a daily or weekly personal noise exposure of 85 dB (A-weighted); and

(b)a peak sound pressure of 137 dB (C-weighted).
 

(3) The exposure limit values are:

(a)a daily or weekly personal noise exposure of 87 dB (A-weighted); and

(b)a peak sound pressure of 140 dB (C-weighted).

​

Media Link: Click Here (read more here)

​

Ground-works are one of a handful of dangerous activities, ​as not knowing whats below the surface layer/ underground, therefore planning, coordinating, communicating and executing excavation activities is extremely important, to ensure you get this right, the first time.

​

22. (1) All practicable steps must be taken to prevent danger to any person, including, where necessary, the provision of supports or battering, to ensure that

(a)no excavation or part of an excavation collapses;

(b)no material forming the walls or roof of, or adjacent to, any excavation is dislodged or falls; and

(c)no person is buried or trapped in an excavation by material which is dislodged or falls.

(2) Suitable and sufficient steps must be taken to prevent any person, work equipment, or any accumulation of material from falling into any excavation.

(3) Suitable and sufficient steps must be taken, where necessary, to prevent any part of an excavation or ground adjacent to it from being overloaded by work equipment or material.

(4) Construction work must not be carried out in an excavation where any supports or battering have been provided in accordance with paragraph (1) unless—
 

(a)the excavation and any work equipment and materials which may affect its safety have been inspected by a competent person—

(i)at the start of the shift in which the work is to be carried out;

(ii)after any event likely to have affected the strength or stability of the excavation; and

(iii)after any material unintentionally falls or is dislodged; and

(b)the person who carried out the inspection is satisfied that construction work can be safely carried out there.

(5) Where the person carrying out an inspection informs the person on whose behalf the inspection is carried out of any matter about which they are not satisfied (under regulation 24(1)), construction work must not be carried out in the excavation until the matter has been satisfactorily remedied.

​

Media Link: Click Here (read more here)

​