Council fined after man suffers hand arm vibration condition

Cheshire East Council has been fined £5,300 after an employee contracted a severe form of hand arm vibration syndrome.

South Cheshire Magistrates Court heard that the maintenance worker, who has not been named, often used heavy-duty vibrating equipment including pneumatic drills and hand-held grinders. After the council first identified that the worker had developed the problem, he was recommended for annual assessments but after having one in 2006 he was not seen again until three years later.

The council pleaded guilty to health and safety breaches and, as well as the £5,300 fine, was also ordered to pay £5,860 in costs.

Chris Goddard, the investigating inspector at HSE, said: “The worker was first diagnosed as developing hand arm vibration syndrome in 2005 but the council failed to take any significant action for nearly four years to stop the condition getting worse. It should have limited the amount of time he spent using vibrating equipment, or provided alternative tools.”

Almost two million people in the UK work in conditions where they are at an increased risk of developing hand-arm vibration syndrome. Common symptoms of the condition include difficulty in doing any fine work and being particularly affected by cold weather

hse.gov.uk/press/2011/coi-nw-73cheshireeast.htm?eban=rss-press-release