HAVS Risk Assessment | Workplace Vibration Exposure

A HAVS risk assessment is a workplace-level exercise, not a medical one. Regulation 5 of the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 requires employers to assess the vibration risk to employees before deciding on control measures and whether health surveillance is needed. It looks at the tools used, how long each worker holds a trigger, and the resulting daily exposure (A(8)) against the Exposure Action and Limit Values.

This is a different exercise from health surveillance, which monitors individual worker health once exposure and risk have been established. Skipping the risk assessment and going straight to surveillance — or the two — is one of the most common gaps in employer HAVS compliance.

Who this is for

Employers who haven't yet assessed vibration exposure across their tools and job roles
Employers reviewing an existing risk assessment after new equipment, tasks or reported symptoms
Health & safety managers who need documented A(8) figures to justify, or rule out, health surveillance

What's included

A review of the vibrating tools and tasks in use, trigger-time assessment for each role, and calculation of daily vibration exposure (A(8)) against the Exposure Action Value (2.5 m/s² A(8)) and Exposure Limit Value (5 m/s² A(8)). You receive a written assessment with exposure figures per role, whether health surveillance is triggered, and practical control recommendations. See our exposure limits guide for how A(8) is worked out.

Health surveillance vs risk assessment

Health surveillance monitors individual worker health. A HAVS risk assessment evaluates workplace vibration exposure and is what determines whether surveillance is needed. The two are not interchangeable.

Questions

HAVS Risk Assessment FAQs.

How is a HAVS risk assessment different from health surveillance?

A risk assessment evaluates workplace exposure — tools, trigger times, resulting A(8) — and is a duty on the employer under regulation 5. Health surveillance monitors individual worker health once that exposure and risk are established.

What does the assessment measure?

The vibration magnitude of tools in use, the daily trigger time for each role, and the combined daily exposure (A(8)) against the 2.5 m/s² Exposure Action Value and 5 m/s² Exposure Limit Value.

Do I need this before booking health surveillance?

It's the assessment that tells you whether surveillance is required and for whom. If you haven't assessed exposure yet, this is the logical starting point ahead of a surveillance programme.

How often should a risk assessment be reviewed?

Whenever equipment, tasks or working methods change materially, or where a health surveillance outcome suggests current controls aren't working — there is no fixed statutory interval, unlike surveillance itself.

An assessment of your workplace's hand-arm vibration exposure — the tools in use, trigger times, and the resulting A(8) exposure — carried out separately from, but feeding directly into, employee health surveillance decisions.

Who this is for

What's included

HAVS Risk Assessment FAQs.

Other HAVS services & guidance.

HAVS Health Surveillance

HAVS Tier 1 & 2 Surveillance

The HAVS Tier System Explained

Arrange your havs risk assessment.