Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) is a condition caused by the regular and frequent exposure of the hands and arms to hand-arm vibration (HAV) from tools and equipment.
HAVS symptoms are painful and disabling disorders of the nerves, blood vessels, joints, and muscles of the hands and arms. The most common visible symptom affecting the blood flow to the fingers is also known as vibration-induced white finger.
Vibration White Finger (VWF) or Raynaud’s Phenomenon is the most common disease caused by vibrating hand tools. It is a type of vascular disorder that affects blood vessels in the fingers. The severe symptoms include fading fingertips on one or more fingers, often called white-finger disease or Raynaud’s Phenomenon.
To sum up, the symptoms of HAVS can vary in severity and may include:
- Tingling and numbness
- Loss of dexterity
- Reduced grip strength
- Pain and discomfort
Is it possible to cure HAVS?
No. Medicine still cannot cure white finger disease, so the only way to treat it is by dealing with the symptoms. So the best way to avoid vibration disease is to minimise the vibration risk to prevent the HAVS from happening in the first place.
Hand-arm vibration testing is a way to measure how much vibration someone is exposed to over time. This is done by measuring the magnitude of vibration at the grip zones or handles. View our range of hand arm vibration monitoring equipment.
