HAVS Risk Assessment: Step-by-Step Guide for Small Contractors

Why Small Contractors Need a HAVS Risk Assessment

If anyone on your crew uses vibrating hand tools — angle grinders, breakers, compactors, strimmers — you are legally required to assess the vibration risk. This isn't optional. The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 require every UK employer to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment where workers may be exposed to hand-arm vibration.

Most small contractors know this. The problem is that the available templates are either too generic (designed for large organisations with dedicated H&S teams) or too expensive (£50+ template packs for what should be a straightforward document). This guide walks through the process step by step, using language that makes sense for a 5-person groundworks crew — not a 500-person construction firm.

What to Cover in the Assessment

A HAVS risk assessment answers five questions:

1. Who is exposed? Which workers regularly use vibrating tools?
2. What tools do they use? List each tool with its vibration magnitude (m/s²)
3. How long are they exposed? Actual trigger time per tool per shift
4. What is their daily exposure? Calculated A(8) or exposure points
5. What controls are in place? And are they working?

You don't need a safety consultant to answer these. You need the tool manuals, a realistic estimate of daily trigger times, and a calculator.

Step 1: Identify Who Uses Vibrating Tools

List every worker who regularly uses vibrating hand tools. Include part-time and agency workers — the regulations cover everyone you expose to vibration, not just permanent employees.

For each person, note:

• Their role (groundworker, bricklayer, landscaper, etc.)
• Which tools they typically use
• How many days per week they use vibrating tools
• Whether they've reported any symptoms (tingling, numbness, white finger)

Step 2: List Every Tool and Its Vibration Magnitude

For each vibrating tool on site, record:

• Make and model (e.g., Makita GA4530 angle grinder)
• Vibration magnitude in m/s² — found in the tool's instruction manual, on the manufacturer's website, or in the HSE vibration magnitude database
• Typical tasks it's used for (cutting, grinding, breaking, compacting)
• Condition — worn tools vibrate more than new ones

If you can't find the manufacturer's declared vibration value, use the HSE database figures for that tool type. These are typically measured under real-world conditions and may be more accurate than manufacturer test data anyway.

Example tool register

Tool	Make/Model	Vibration (m/s²)	Typical use	Source
Angle grinder (4.5")	Makita GA4530	6.5	Cutting rebar, grinding welds	Manufacturer manual
Breaker (medium)	Hilti TE 500-AVR	8.5	Breaking concrete footings	HSE database
Plate compactor	Wacker Neuson VP1340A	13.0	Compacting sub-base	Manufacturer data sheet
Cut-off saw	Stihl TS 420	5.5	Cutting kerbs and slabs	Manufacturer manual

Step 3: Estimate Actual Trigger Times

Trigger time is the duration each worker's hands are actually on a vibrating tool during a shift — not the shift length, not the time the tool is on site, and not the time spent on the job overall.

A groundworker might be on site for 8 hours but only has hands on a breaker for 40 minutes and a compactor for 30 minutes. That's 1 hour 10 minutes of trigger time across two tools.

Common mistakes:

• Overestimating by using shift length instead of actual trigger time
• Underestimating by ignoring short bursts (10 minutes on the grinder still counts)
• Forgetting multi-tool use — a worker who uses three different tools in a day has combined exposure

If you're unsure, observe a typical shift and time the actual usage. Even rough estimates are better than nothing — and far better than no assessment at all.

Step 4: Calculate Daily Exposure

Use the exposure points method — it's easier than the A(8) formula for multi-tool calculations.

Exposure points per hour = (vibration magnitude ÷ 2.5)² × 100

Multiply by trigger time in hours, then add up points from all tools.

Check against:

• 100 points = EAV (Exposure Action Value, 2.5 m/s² A(8)) — take action
• 400 points = ELV (Exposure Limit Value, 5 m/s² A(8)) — legal maximum

Worked example

A groundworker uses a breaker (8.5 m/s²) for 40 minutes and a compactor (13 m/s²) for 30 minutes:

• Breaker: (8.5 ÷ 2.5)² × 100 = 1,156 pts/hr × 0.67 hrs = 775 points
• Compactor: (13 ÷ 2.5)² × 100 = 2,704 pts/hr × 0.5 hrs = 1,352 points
• Total: 2,127 points — exceeds ELV (400 points)

This worker is massively over the legal limit. The assessment has identified a problem that needs immediate action.

Use our free HAVS Exposure Calculator to run these calculations for your whole crew.

Step 5: Identify and Record Controls

For each risk, document what controls are in place or needed:

At the EAV (100 points):

• Rotate workers between vibrating and non-vibrating tasks
• Substitute lower-vibration tools where possible (e.g., a breaker with active vibration reduction)
• Limit trigger time per worker per shift
• Provide information and training on HAVS risks
• Arrange Tier 1-3 health surveillance screening

At or near the ELV (400 points):

• Redesign the work to eliminate or reduce vibration exposure
• Enforce strict trigger time limits
• Use tool rotation schedules
• Consider mechanical alternatives (e.g., hydraulic splitting instead of breaking)
• Stop the worker using vibrating tools for the rest of the shift if the limit is reached

When to Review the Assessment

Review your HAVS risk assessment when:

• You introduce new tools or equipment
• Work patterns change (different tasks, longer shifts)
• A worker reports HAVS symptoms (tingling, numbness, loss of grip)
• Health surveillance identifies a problem
• HSE issues guidance that affects your sector
• At least annually, even if nothing has changed

Don't treat the assessment as a one-off document filed and forgotten. It should reflect how your crew actually works today.

Keeping Records

The regulations require you to keep your risk assessment and make it available for HSE inspection. Record:

• The assessment itself (who, what tools, exposure calculations, controls)
• Health surveillance results (kept for 40 years — HSE health surveillance guidance)
• Any actions taken when thresholds were reached
• Training records

Paper records work but are easy to lose — start with our free HAVS Log Sheet Template if you need a structured format. A spreadsheet is better. Purpose-built tracking like HAVS·Log keeps everything in one place — daily exposure logs, threshold alerts, and exportable compliance reports ready for inspection.

Summary Checklist

1. List every worker who uses vibrating tools
2. Record every tool's vibration magnitude (m/s²)
3. Estimate actual trigger times — not shift length
4. Calculate daily exposure points for each worker
5. Compare against EAV (100 pts) and ELV (400 pts)
6. Document controls for each risk level
7. Review when circumstances change or at least annually
8. Keep records accessible for HSE inspection

Sources

• The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/1093)
• HSE — Hand-arm vibration: Assess the risks
• HSE — Hand-arm vibration: Protect your workers