Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) Compensation Claims
Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome Claims may be possible if you have developed HAVS because of excessive exposure to vibration at work and your employer failed to take reasonable steps to protect you.
Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome, commonly known as HAVS, can develop following repeated exposure to vibration transmitted through the hands and arms. The condition can affect the blood vessels and nerves, with symptoms including numbness, tingling and attacks where the fingers change colour. HAVS can also affect grip strength and dexterity, making some everyday activities and types of work more difficult.
Employers have legal responsibilities concerning exposure to vibration at work. If you have been diagnosed with HAVS after using vibrating tools or machinery during your employment, we can investigate the circumstances and advise whether you may have grounds for compensation.
At Tylers Solicitors, eligible claims can be handled on a No Win No Fee basis. Call us on 0800 699 0079 to discuss your work history and the circumstances surrounding your condition.
Can I Make a Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome Claim?
You may be able to make a Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome claim if exposure to vibration during your employment caused or contributed to the condition and your employer failed to meet the legal duties that applied to your work.
Using vibrating equipment does not automatically establish that an employer was negligent. A claim needs to consider the extent and duration of your exposure, the work you carried out and the steps taken to manage the risk.
The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 place duties on employers to assess and control risks to employees from vibration. Where employees are likely to be exposed to vibration, employers may need to assess that exposure and take appropriate measures to eliminate the risk at source or reduce it as far as reasonably practicable. The Regulations also contain requirements relating to information and training and, in appropriate circumstances, health surveillance.
A claim may involve exposure that occurred over many years or while working for more than one employer. Older employment does not necessarily prevent you from making a claim, although the available evidence and applicable time limit will need to be considered.
HAVS forms part of the wider area of occupational illness caused by working conditions. You can find more information about other work-related conditions on our Industrial Disease Claims page.
Common Causes of Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome
HAVS is associated with regular and frequent exposure to hand-transmitted vibration. The risk depends on factors including the magnitude, frequency and duration of the vibration exposure.
Workers can encounter hand-transmitted vibration through many types of powered equipment. This may include breakers, grinders, drills, sanders, chainsaws and other vibrating hand-held or hand-guided tools. What matters for a claim is the actual exposure involved in the person’s work rather than simply the type of tool they used.
An employer responsible for work involving vibration should consider how exposure can be prevented or reduced. Depending on the circumstances, this can involve selecting suitable equipment, maintaining tools correctly and organising work to limit the amount of vibration to which employees are exposed. Workers should also receive appropriate information and training about the risks and the measures in place to control them.
Where health surveillance is required, it can help identify employees who may be developing symptoms at an earlier stage. Evidence about the precautions taken, the equipment used and the amount of exposure can later become important if a worker develops HAVS.
Simply warning an employee that vibrating equipment carries a risk does not, by itself, remove an employer’s legal responsibilities. Whether there has been a breach of duty depends on the circumstances and the measures that should reasonably have been taken at the relevant time.
Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome Symptoms and Evidence
Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome can involve vascular and sensorineural symptoms. The way it affects an individual varies, so symptoms need to be medically assessed rather than assuming that problems with the hands or fingers have been caused by vibration exposure.
Vascular symptoms can include episodes where affected fingers become pale or white, particularly in cold conditions. This vascular component is commonly associated with Vibration White Finger, which sits within the wider group of symptoms that can occur with HAVS.
Neurological symptoms can include tingling, numbness and reduced sensation in the fingers. Some people may also experience reduced manual dexterity or grip strength, which can interfere with tasks requiring precise hand movements or the handling of objects.
Similar symptoms can occur with other conditions. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, for example, can cause numbness and tingling in the hand and fingers. Establishing the correct diagnosis and determining whether occupational vibration exposure caused or contributed to the symptoms is therefore an important part of a HAVS claim.
Medical assessment may consider the person’s symptoms alongside their occupational history and previous exposure to vibration. Testing can also be used where appropriate to assess sensory function, dexterity or grip strength.
The severity of HAVS can be medically graded using the Stockholm Workshop Scale. The Judicial College Guidelines describe this as a system which separately classifies the vascular and sensorineural components of HAVS, with individual assessment for each hand and affected finger. The vascular scale considers the extent and frequency of attacks, while the sensorineural scale considers symptoms such as numbness, reduced tactile discrimination and loss of manipulative dexterity.
This medical grading should not be confused with the way compensation is valued. The Judicial College Guidelines make clear that damages are not strictly tied to a person’s Stockholm Workshop Scale grading. The actual symptoms and the effect they have on the person’s life are also important.
Evidence of the workplace exposure itself will also need to be considered. Depending on the circumstances and what remains available, this could include employment records, information about the tools used, working practices, vibration assessments, training records or health surveillance records.
How Much HAVS Compensation Could You Claim?
The amount depends on the symptoms, the hands and fingers affected, and the impact on your work and daily life.
Who May Be Liable for a HAVS Claim?
An employer may be liable for HAVS where it can be established that they breached a duty owed to the employee and that the breach caused or materially contributed to the condition.
The legal duties applying to vibration exposure include those contained in the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005. However, whether an employer is liable depends on the circumstances of the individual case, including when the exposure occurred and the legal standards applicable at that time.
An investigation may consider how the work was organised, the equipment being used and whether the risks from vibration were adequately assessed and controlled. The information and training given to employees and any relevant health surveillance may also form part of the evidence.
Some workers develop HAVS after spending years in jobs involving vibrating equipment and may have worked for several employers during that period. In those circumstances, the exposure history may need to be investigated across different periods of employment to determine which exposures are relevant.
A former employer having ceased trading does not necessarily mean that a claim cannot proceed. Depending on the circumstances, it may be possible to investigate the former business and trace the employers’ liability insurer that provided cover during the relevant period.
Liability cannot be assumed simply because someone has been diagnosed with HAVS. Medical evidence, occupational history and evidence about the working conditions need to be considered together before responsibility can be properly assessed.
How Much HAVS Compensation Could You Claim?
There is no fixed amount of compensation for a successful Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome claim. The value depends on the severity and extent of the symptoms and the effect they have on the individual.
The Judicial College Guidelines identify several factors that can affect the assessment. These include the age at which symptoms began, whether one or both hands are affected, whether the dominant hand is involved and the number of affected fingers. Reduced grip strength or dexterity, the frequency and duration of painful episodes and the impact on work, domestic activities and social life can also influence the appropriate award.
This means two people with similar medical grading may not necessarily receive the same level of general damages. The Guidelines make clear that compensation is not strictly tied to the Stockholm Workshop Scale. The practical effect of HAVS on the individual also matters.
For a general indication only, you can also use our personal injury compensation calculator. A HAVS claim would still need an individual assessment using appropriate medical and financial evidence.
Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome Compensation Guidelines
The Judicial College Guidelines provide the following brackets for Vibration White Finger and/or Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome:
| Severity | Guideline Compensation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Most Serious | £41,800 to £50,770 | Persisting symptoms affecting both hands in a younger person, significantly interfering with daily life and leading to a change in employment. |
| Serious | £22,150 to £41,800 | Marked interference with work and domestic activity. Attacks may occur throughout the year. |
| Moderate | £11,420 to £22,150 | Includes people in their middle years who have maintained their employment or changed it only to remove excess vibration. Attacks occur mostly in cold weather. |
| Minor | £3,950 to £11,420 | Occasional symptoms affecting only a few fingers, with a modest effect on work or leisure. |
These figures are guidelines for general damages, which compensate for the pain, suffering and loss of amenity caused by the condition. They are not guaranteed HAVS payouts and do not represent the total value of every successful claim.
Where HAVS has caused financial loss, this may also need to be considered. Someone who has had to reduce their hours or change employment because they can no longer safely work with vibrating equipment may have a claim for loss of earnings, depending on the evidence. Other reasonable expenses resulting from the condition may also be recoverable where appropriate and supported.
How Long Do You Have to Make a HAVS Claim?
HAVS can develop gradually, so the relevant time limit is not necessarily calculated from the first occasion on which someone used vibrating equipment.
For personal injury claims in England and Wales, court proceedings generally need to be started within three years of the date the cause of action accrued or, if later, the person’s relevant date of knowledge. In an industrial disease claim, the date of knowledge can be particularly important because the connection between symptoms and working conditions may only become apparent later.
Determining that date depends on the individual circumstances. A diagnosis may be relevant, but it should not automatically be treated as the date on which the three-year period starts. The legal test considers what the person knew, or could reasonably have been expected to know, about the significant injury and its attribution to the act or omission alleged.
Anyone who believes they may have HAVS should therefore seek legal advice promptly. This allows the limitation position to be considered and can also make it easier to investigate previous employment, vibration exposure and other evidence while records remain available.
How Tylers Solicitors Can Help
A HAVS claim can require investigation of working conditions stretching back over a considerable period. Tylers Solicitors can look at how and when you were exposed to vibration, the equipment involved and what measures were taken by your employer to manage that exposure.
Medical evidence can then be considered alongside your employment history to establish the nature of the condition and whether occupational vibration caused or contributed to it. Where relevant records are available, these can also help build a clearer picture of the working environment and the steps taken to protect employees.
If your symptoms have affected your ability to continue in the same occupation, we can consider the financial consequences as part of the claim. The aim is to ensure that any compensation pursued reflects the evidence about the condition and its effect on your life rather than relying on a standard HAVS payout.
Tylers Solicitors handles eligible Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome Claims on a No Win No Fee basis. The terms of the funding arrangement will be explained before you decide whether to proceed.
If you are unsure whether your symptoms relate specifically to HAVS or another condition associated with workplace exposure, we can also consider the circumstances and explain which type of industrial disease claim may be relevant.
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Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome Claims FAQs
What is Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome?
Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome is a condition associated with repeated exposure to vibration transmitted through the hands and arms. It can involve vascular and neurological symptoms, including finger blanching, numbness, tingling and reduced sensation. Dexterity and grip strength can also be affected.
Symptoms alone cannot confirm that someone has HAVS. Appropriate medical assessment is needed to establish the diagnosis and consider other possible causes.
Is Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome permanent?
The long-term effects vary between individuals and depend on the nature and severity of the condition. The Judicial College Guidelines describe HAVS as a slowly progressive condition, with its development and severity affected by the degree of vibration exposure.
Medical evidence is needed to assess an individual’s symptoms and prognosis. A compensation claim should be based on that evidence rather than an assumption that every case will progress in the same way.
What evidence do I need for a HAVS claim?
Medical evidence will be needed to establish the condition and consider its relationship with occupational vibration exposure. Evidence about your employment and working conditions will also be relevant when determining whether an employer may have been responsible.
Depending on what is available, this could include employment records, information about the tools and equipment used, vibration assessments, training records and health surveillance documentation. Older claims may require further investigation where records are incomplete or a former employer is no longer trading.
Is HAVS the same as Vibration White Finger?
Vibration White Finger is associated with the vascular effects of exposure to hand-transmitted vibration and can form part of HAVS. Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome is broader and can include neurological effects as well as vascular symptoms.
Our Vibration White Finger Claims page provides more information where finger blanching and other vascular symptoms are the main concern.
How is HAVS diagnosed?
Diagnosis involves medical assessment of the symptoms and a person’s history of exposure to hand-transmitted vibration. Depending on the circumstances, testing may also be used to assess sensory function, grip strength or manual dexterity.
The vascular and sensorineural components can be medically graded using the Stockholm Workshop Scale. Other conditions may produce similar symptoms, so the purpose of medical assessment is also to consider whether another explanation is more appropriate.
Can I claim if I no longer work for the employer?
Potentially, yes. Leaving the employment where the vibration exposure occurred does not itself prevent you from making a claim.
The circumstances of the previous employment, medical causation and the applicable limitation period will still need to be investigated. Where the business has since closed, it may also be necessary to identify the relevant historic employers’ liability insurer.
Related Workplace Vibration Claims
Claims where occupational vibration has caused finger blanching and other vascular symptoms.
Claims involving injury caused by unsafe or defective handheld tools at work.
Explore compensation claims for illnesses and conditions caused by workplace exposure.
Information about work-related carpal tunnel syndrome, which can cause numbness and tingling in the hand.
Get In Touch About a HAVS Claim
If you have been diagnosed with HAVS and believe excessive vibration exposure at work may have caused or contributed to the condition, Tylers Solicitors can advise you on your options.
We can discuss your symptoms and employment history before considering whether there may be grounds for a Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome claim. Eligible claims can be handled on a No Win No Fee basis, with the funding terms explained before you proceed.
Call us on 0800 699 0079, email us at info@tylerssolicitors.co.uk or fill in our online contact form to discuss a potential HAVS claim with Tylers Solicitors.