People who work hard and use their hands shouldn’t have to suffer in life from a workplace injury that’s so easily protected against.

Vibration Action Glove system coming soon !!!

Our glove system has been designed by the industries that are most at risk of losing employees to hand arm vibration or carpal tunnel injuries. We use wearable technology coupled with smart communication software to deliver a low cost and accurate system that alerts users to harmful exposure levels of vibration or harmful wrist angles. Along with the glove system, we are developing a device for measuring vibration frequencies in accordance with BS EN 5349.

We are working with companies that believe its better to lead from the front.

Business owners and the people who work for them should not be put in a situation where they need to decide if money comes before their health. Without the health of their people there is no business!! 

The photo displays the signs and symptoms of hand arm vibration syndrome (HAVs), HAVs in New Zealand is a category two workplace harm event right beside radiation poisoning. Power tool and machinery vibration alters the anatomy within the human hands, wrists and arms damaging the nerves and blood supply systems. Hence why the fingers have turn white.

The fingers will turn white on exposure to either hot or cold environments lasting for around 30 minutes. However, the tingling and numbness within the fingers is always there. Once you develop HAVs its normally with you for life.

The power tools and machinery we used daily slowly damage our fingers, hands, and body over time.

Ask yourself these questions,

  • What would you do if you couldn’t work with your hands anymore?

  • What does your future look like?

  • Can you afford to take a big financial hit if your injury gets worse?

  • What would you do if you lost your employment, can you and your family survive?

  • Who’s going to pay for your training in a new role?

 

We are now living in a world where employees are choosing not to work for companies that cannot protect them.  

  • Worksafe NZ legislation is tightening on Vibration Injury with legal frame work coming soon

  • In Australia companies are sued for over exposuring employee’s to harmfully levels of vibration resulting in a workplace injury

  • World health organsation has a hand book on workplace vibration

  • U.S. Military hand book for vibration exposure

  • Orthopaedic surgeons and vibrating tools

Who we’ve worked with so far.

Below is a small list of tools and machinery that can cause hand arm vibration or carpal tunnel injuries from vibration                

  • Chainsaw

  • Drills

  • Grinders 

  • Jackhammers 

  • Needle guns 

  • Weed eaters 

  • Impact wrenches 

  • Jigsaw 

  • Power hammers and chisels 

  • Powered lawn mowers 

  • Scabblers 

  • Polishers 

  • Cut-off saws 

There is a simple rule to remember, if you are using a hand held power tool or machinery that requires electric, pneumatic or fuel for it to function then you are at risk of developing HAVs. Furthermore, international research into carpal tunnel injury rates has indicated that between 40% - 50% of all carpal tunnel injuries are vibration induced.

Symptoms include any combination of:

  • tingling and numbness in the fingers;

  • not being able to feel things properly;

  • loss of strength in the hands;

  • fingers going white (blanching) and becoming red and painful on recovery (particularly in the cold and wet, and probably only in the fingertips at first).

For some people, symptoms may appear after only a few months of exposure, but for others they may take a few years. They are likely to get worse with continued exposure to vibration and may become permanent.

The effects on people include:

  • pain, distress and sleep disturbance;

  • inability to do fine work (eg assembling small components) or everyday tasks (eg fastening buttons);

  • reduced ability to work in cold or damp conditions (ie most outdoor work) which would trigger painful, finger-blanching attacks;

  • reduced grip strength, which might affect the ability to do work safely.

Reducing the risks of vibration exposure: 

What you should do

  1. Use an alternative method of work that reduces vibration.

  2. Consider purchasing handtools that are vibration reduced.

  3. Keep handtools in a good state of repair, ie regularly serviced and maintained.

  4. Keep consumables in balance, ie providing training to eliminate bad tool use.

  5. Encourage employees to report early symptoms.

More detailed information can be read at HSE's vibration page linked below  

Happy to chat