Health surveillance
Most of the time, "HAVS assessment" means health surveillance: ongoing monitoring of an individual worker's health once they're exposed to hand-arm vibration. It's required under regulation 7 of the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 for employees regularly exposed at or above the Exposure Action Value, occasionally exposed above it where a risk assessment shows a risk, or already diagnosed with HAVS or vibration white finger.
HSE guidance describes a tiered approach: a questionnaire at Tier 1–2, a clinical assessment at Tier 3 if that questionnaire flags a problem, and formal diagnosis by a doctor at Tier 4. See our full tier breakdown for how they connect.
Risk assessment
A HAVS risk assessment is a different exercise, evaluating workplace exposure rather than an individual's health: which tools are used, for how long, and the resulting daily exposure (A(8)) against the Exposure Action and Limit Values. It's a duty under regulation 5, and it's what actually determines whether health surveillance is required in the first place.
What a HAVS assessment does not do
It doesn't diagnose HAVS on the spot at every tier — diagnosis happens at Tier 4, by a doctor. It doesn't replace your engineering controls — reducing exposure is a separate employer duty under regulation 6. And general information like this page isn't a substitute for individual medical advice about your own symptoms.