Independent report

Limitations of epidemiology when investigating occupations with a potential for significant vibration exposure: IIAC position paper 49

This position paper reviews the epidemiology on hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) in detail and outlines its limitations with regard to some occupational groups and vibrating tools.

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Documents

Limitations of epidemiology when investigating occupations with a potential for significant vibration exposure and PD A11, HAVS

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Details

This Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) position paper reviews the epidemiology on hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) in detail and outlines its limitations with regard to some occupational groups and vibrating tools.

The Command paper CP 868, ‘Hand-arm vibration syndrome and assessment of vibration exposure’ reviewed two alternative approaches to assessing vibration exposure and exposure equivalence to those vibrating tools on the current list that have passed the ‘causation question’. The recommendation was to extend the list of tools in Schedule 1 of PDA11 despite the limited direct evidence of a doubling of relative risk in some tools.

Updates to this page

Published 4 July 2023

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