HAVS Assessment vs Risk Assessment: What's the Difference?
The Two Phrases Mean Different Things
If you search "HAVS assessment" and "HAVS risk assessment" you get overlapping results, and the two phrases are often used interchangeably. They shouldn't be. Confusing them creates real compliance gaps — workers get one and not the other, and that's an HSE finding waiting to happen.
This page sets out clearly what each phrase refers to, who is responsible for each, and how they relate.
Quick Side-by-Side
| HAVS risk assessment | HAVS assessment (health surveillance) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it assesses | The work activity — tools, tasks, exposure levels | The individual worker — symptoms, fitness for work |
| Who carries it out | Employer (typically supervisor or H&S coordinator) | Health surveillance provider (occupational health nurse, doctor) |
| What gets recorded | Tool inventory, trigger times, A(8) or points totals, controls | Tier 1 questionnaire results, Tier 2 annual screening, Tier 3+ clinical assessment |
| When it's done | Before work starts; reviewed annually or on change | Before exposure starts (Tier 1); annually for EAV-exposed workers (Tier 2); on symptom report (Tier 3+) |
| Statutory basis | Regulation 5 of the 2005 Regulations | Regulation 7 of the 2005 Regulations |
| Output document | Written risk assessment | Health record per worker |
Both are mandatory under the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005. They are different duties, sit under different regulations, and produce different documents.
HAVS Risk Assessment — the Work-Level Document
A HAVS risk assessment is the employer's written analysis of the vibration risk created by the work. It's required by Regulation 5 of the 2005 Regulations, which states the employer must "make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk created by that work to the health and safety of those employees."
What goes in it:
- Who is exposed — workers, roles, frequency of exposure to vibrating tools
- What tools are used — model, manufacturer-declared vibration magnitude, condition
- Typical trigger times — how long the work involves hands-on-tool use
- Calculated daily exposure — A(8) or exposure points per typical shift
- Comparison to thresholds — does typical exposure reach the EAV or ELV?
- Controls — what the employer is doing to keep exposure as low as reasonably practicable
- Review cycle — when the assessment will be reviewed (default annually + on change)
The risk assessment is a planning document. It says "this is what our work involves and this is what we're doing about it." It does not — and cannot — tell you whether any individual worker is showing symptoms of HAVS.
For the full walkthrough of how to write one, see our HAVS risk assessment guide. For the wider assessment process this fits into, see the Hand Arm Vibration Assessment complete guide.
HAVS Assessment — the Worker-Level Health Record
"HAVS assessment" in occupational health usage typically refers to health surveillance — assessing the individual worker for symptoms of vibration-induced disease. It's required by Regulation 7 when workers are exposed at or above the EAV or where the risk assessment otherwise indicates a health risk.
HSE recommends a five-tier system in its published guidance:
| Tier | What it covers | Who does it | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Initial questionnaire — baseline before exposure | Worker self-completion | Before first work with vibrating tools |
| Tier 2 | Annual screening questionnaire | Trained person (supervisor, H&S coordinator) | Annually for EAV-exposed workers |
| Tier 3 | Standardised clinical assessment | Occupational health nurse or technician | When Tier 1/2 flags possible symptoms |
| Tier 4 | Full clinical assessment | Occupational health physician (doctor) | When Tier 3 confirms symptoms or for complex cases |
| Tier 5 | Diagnosis and management | Specialist physician | When formal diagnosis or HSE-reportable case |
A "HAVS assessment" in conversation usually means Tier 3 — the standardised clinical assessment carried out by an occupational health nurse when a worker shows or reports possible symptoms. Tier 2 annual screenings are sometimes called "HAVS assessments" too, particularly in small-contractor usage.
The output is a per-worker health record, not a per-site document. It tells the employer:
- Is this worker showing signs of HAVS?
- What tier of surveillance applies?
- Is the worker fit to continue using vibrating tools?
- What restrictions or accommodations are needed?
For the practical detail on escalation between tiers and what to do when symptoms are reported, see our HAVS health surveillance and referral guide.
Why the Confusion Exists
Two reasons:
1. Both involve the word "assessment". In a regulatory context, "assessment" means different things depending on what comes before it: "risk assessment" is the planning document; "health assessment" or "occupational health assessment" is the worker-level record. The 2005 Regulations use the precise phrase "risk assessment" for the Regulation 5 duty and "health surveillance" for the Regulation 7 duty — but everyday usage shortens both to "HAVS assessment."
2. Most small firms only do one of them. When a small contractor first looks into HAVS compliance, they usually start with the risk assessment (because it's the visible written document) and never get to health surveillance. So in that firm's vocabulary, "the HAVS assessment" = the risk assessment, and there's no other document to compare it against. When they later read about health surveillance and someone tells them they need "a HAVS assessment for every worker," confusion follows.
What HSE Inspectors Check
A HSE inspection on vibration typically reviews both, and the inspector tells them apart by the document type:
- A site- or activity-level document with tool data, trigger times, and A(8) calculations → risk assessment (Regulation 5)
- A worker-level health record with name, exposure history, surveillance tier, and clinical findings → health surveillance (Regulation 7)
Missing the risk assessment is the most common improvement-notice trigger for small contractors. Missing health surveillance for workers regularly exposed at or above the EAV is the second most common. Both are findings against different regulations — fixing one does not fix the other.
The Relationship Between the Two
The two documents reference each other in normal operation:
- Risk assessment → health surveillance: The risk assessment identifies which workers are exposed at or above the EAV. That list determines who needs health surveillance.
- Health surveillance → risk assessment: Surveillance findings (symptom reports, Tier 3 referrals) feed back into the risk assessment as evidence that controls may need strengthening.
In a well-run compliance system, they're paired: the risk assessment lists the workers exposed; the surveillance records confirm those workers are being screened; symptom reports trigger a review of the risk assessment.
In a poorly-run system, they're disconnected: the risk assessment names workers who are not in surveillance, or surveillance happens for workers who are not on the exposure list. Both are signs the system is on paper but not actually operating.
What to Do This Week
If you only have one of the two documents:
If you have the risk assessment but no surveillance:
- Check the risk assessment for workers at or above the EAV
- Arrange Tier 1 baseline screening for each (a one-page questionnaire — can be done in-house with HSE's published template)
- For workers already exposed for months/years with no surveillance, arrange Tier 3 referrals to occupational health
If you have surveillance but no risk assessment:
- Draft the risk assessment this week, even in skeletal form
- Pull tool data and trigger times from existing exposure logs
- Use our HAVS risk assessment guide for the format
If you have neither:
- Risk assessment first — it identifies who needs surveillance
- Surveillance second — once you know who is exposed at or above the EAV
- Both within 4-6 weeks for a small firm; longer is enforcement risk
Summary
The phrases "HAVS assessment" and "HAVS risk assessment" are not synonymous:
- HAVS risk assessment — Regulation 5; written analysis of the work activity; tool data, trigger times, controls
- HAVS assessment / health surveillance — Regulation 7; per-worker health record; Tier 1-5 screening for symptoms
A firm doing one and not the other is half-compliant under the regulations. Both are mandatory when workers are exposed at or above the EAV; both produce documents HSE inspectors expect to see.
For the underlying legal framework, see our Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 guide.
Sources
This guide is for general information only. It is not a substitute for professional health and safety advice.