The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 set two daily exposure limits for hand-arm vibration:

Both are expressed as A(8) — the daily vibration exposure normalised to an 8-hour reference period. The exposure points system (100 for EAV, 400 for ELV) is mathematically equivalent and easier to use when workers use multiple tools.

What A(8) Actually Means

A(8) is not the raw vibration measurement from the tool. It's the combined effect of vibration magnitude and exposure duration, normalised to 8 hours.

A tool rated at 5 m/s² used for 8 hours produces A(8) = 5 m/s² (exactly the ELV). The same tool used for 2 hours produces A(8) = 2.5 m/s² (exactly the EAV). Use it for 30 minutes and A(8) = 1.25 m/s² (below EAV).

The formula: A(8) = vibration magnitude × √(trigger time ÷ 8 hours)

The exposure points formula is simpler for on-site use:

Points per hour = (magnitude ÷ 2.5)² × 100

Total daily points = sum of (points per hour × hours) for each tool. Compare against 100 (EAV) and 400 (ELV).

Use the free HAVS Exposure Calculator to run these calculations without the maths.

What You Must Do at the EAV (100 Points)

When any worker's daily exposure reaches 100 points (2.5 m/s² A(8)):

1. Introduce a programme of controls to reduce exposure — tool rotation, job rotation, substituting lower-vibration equipment, limiting trigger times
2. Provide health surveillance — Tier 1-3 screening for exposed workers
3. Provide information and training — workers must understand the risks of HAVS and how to reduce exposure
4. Review your risk assessment — update it to reflect the exposure levels you're seeing

The EAV is not a safe level. It's the point where the regulations require you to actively manage the risk. Below the EAV, you still have a general duty to reduce exposure as far as reasonably practicable.

What You Must Do at the ELV (400 Points)

The ELV is a hard legal limit. If a worker's exposure reaches 400 points (5 m/s² A(8)):

1. Stop the worker using vibrating tools immediately for the rest of the shift
2. Investigate the cause — was trigger time underestimated? Was the wrong tool used? Did multi-tool exposure compound?
3. Update your risk assessment and controls to prevent recurrence
4. Refer the worker for health surveillance if not already enrolled

Exceeding the ELV is a breach of the regulations. HSE enforcement can result in improvement notices, prohibition notices, and prosecution. Fines for health and safety offences are unlimited in the Crown Court.

Common EAV/ELV Trigger Times

How long before common tools hit each threshold:

For a full interactive lookup, see the HAVS Trigger Time Chart.

Multi-Tool Exposure: How Points Stack

The biggest real-world risk isn't a single high-vibration tool — it's the combination of several tools across a shift.

Example: A worker uses a cut-off saw (7 m/s²) for 20 minutes and then a hammer drill (13 m/s²) for 15 minutes.

• Cut-off saw: 784 pts/hr × 0.33 hr = 261 points
• Hammer drill: 2,704 pts/hr × 0.25 hr = 676 points
• Total: 937 points — over twice the ELV from just 35 minutes of combined use

This is why daily tracking matters. Individual tools might look safe for their typical use times, but the daily total is what the regulations care about.

EAV vs. ELV: The Practical Difference

The EAV (100 points) is your trigger for proactive management — introduce controls, start surveillance, train your team. You can continue working at or above the EAV as long as you're actively managing the risk.

The ELV (400 points) is the line you cannot cross. Once you do, the worker must stop and you must investigate. There is no "we'll deal with it tomorrow."

Most small contractor enforcement cases involve repeated ELV breaches without records showing any attempt to manage exposure. The records don't have to be perfect — they have to exist.

Summary

Sources

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

When HSE inspects a site where workers use vibrating tools, they'll ask to see your HAVS records. Not a promise that records exist — the actual documents. Firms that can't produce them face enforcement notices and, in serious cases, prosecution.

The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 don't prescribe a specific format, but they do require you to keep records of four things:

1. Vibration risk assessments — who is exposed, to what, and what controls are in place
2. Daily exposure records — which workers used which tools for how long, and their calculated A(8) exposure
3. Health surveillance records — screening results for workers exposed above the EAV
4. Action records — what you did when thresholds were reached or health issues were identified

Building a HAVS Register

A HAVS register is simply the collection of these records in one accessible place. It can be a ring binder, a spreadsheet, or a digital system — the format matters less than the completeness and accessibility.

What to include

Tool register:

Daily exposure log (per worker, per day):

Health surveillance log:

Record Retention Periods

• Risk assessments: Keep current version plus previous version. Review and update when circumstances change or at least annually.
• Daily exposure logs: No statutory minimum, but best practice is to retain for the duration of employment plus 6 years (limitation period for civil claims).
• Health surveillance records: 40 years from the date of the last entry — this is a legal requirement under Regulation 7. If you close the business, transfer health records to HSE.

The 40-year retention requirement for health surveillance is often missed by small firms. HAVS symptoms can develop years after exposure ends — these records matter long after a worker leaves your company.

Common Record-Keeping Failures

No records at all. The most common failure for small contractors. Paper log sheets get lost or were never started. HSE can issue an improvement notice on the spot.

Records exist but are incomplete. A spreadsheet with tool names but no trigger times. A risk assessment from 2019 that hasn't been reviewed since. Partially completed records may actually be worse than none — they show you knew about the requirement but didn't follow through.

Records can't be produced quickly. If your exposure logs are in a filing cabinet at the office but the inspector is on site, you effectively don't have them. Records need to be accessible where and when they're needed.

Health surveillance not linked to exposure data. A worker is flagged in health surveillance but there's no exposure history to investigate what caused the issue. The two records should cross-reference.

Paper vs. Spreadsheet vs. Software

Paper log sheets: Simple to create (use our free HAVS Log Sheet Template generator), but easy to lose, damage, or forget. No automatic calculations — the supervisor has to work out exposure points manually. Hard to analyse trends.

Spreadsheets: Better than paper. Formulas handle the exposure calculations. But spreadsheets rarely get updated on site — they're a desk tool for an on-site job. Version control is messy. No alerts when thresholds are approached.

Purpose-built software: Automatic exposure calculations, threshold alerts before a breach, and exportable compliance reports. The supervisor logs tool usage on a phone; the system does the rest. This is where HAVS·Log fits — daily tracking, crew-level visibility, and audit-ready records without the overhead of enterprise platforms.

What to Do Right Now

If you have no HAVS register:

1. Create a tool register — list every vibrating tool on site with its vibration magnitude
2. Start daily exposure logs — even paper ones. Record who used what, for how long, and the calculated points
3. Schedule health surveillance — for any worker exposed above the EAV (100 points / 2.5 m/s² A(8))
4. Write or update your risk assessment — follow our HAVS Risk Assessment guide
5. Set up a system that persists — one that works next week and next month, not just today

The best HAVS register is one that actually gets used. Pick a format your team will maintain consistently.

Sources

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

Trigger time is the maximum duration a worker's hands can be on a vibrating tool before they reach an exposure threshold. Every vibrating tool has two trigger times:

• Time to EAV — how long before hitting the Exposure Action Value (2.5 m/s² A(8) / 100 exposure points)
• Time to ELV — how long before hitting the Exposure Limit Value (5 m/s² A(8) / 400 exposure points)

These times depend entirely on the tool's vibration magnitude. A low-vibration tool can be used for hours. A high-vibration breaker might hit the EAV in under 10 minutes.

The reference table below gives trigger times for common tools found on UK construction, civils, and landscaping sites. Use it as a quick lookup — but always check the specific vibration magnitude for your actual tool model.

Trigger Time Reference Table

All times are approximate. Vibration magnitudes are typical ranges — your specific tool may be higher or lower. Check the manufacturer's declared value or the HSE vibration magnitude database for your exact model.

How to Read This Table

Example: A worker using a medium pneumatic breaker at 18 m/s²:

• Exposure points per hour = (18 ÷ 2.5)² × 100 = 5,184 points/hour
• Time to EAV (100 points) = 100 ÷ 5,184 × 60 = 1.2 minutes
• Time to ELV (400 points) = 400 ÷ 5,184 × 60 = 4.6 minutes

At 18 m/s², this worker hits the action value in just over a minute of trigger time. That's not unusual for heavy breaking work — which is why breaker tasks need careful scheduling and rotation.

Why Trigger Time Is Not Shift Time

A common misconception: trigger time measures hands-on-tool time, not shift length. A groundworker might be on site for 8 hours but only has hands on a vibrating tool for 45 minutes total. The exposure calculation uses those 45 minutes, not 8 hours.

Conversely, a worker who uses a breaker "just for a few minutes" at 20+ m/s² can blow through the EAV in under 5 minutes of actual use. Short bursts on high-vibration tools are where exposure limits get exceeded without anyone noticing.

Multi-Tool Exposure: How Points Add Up

Most workers use more than one vibrating tool per shift. Exposure points from each tool add together:

Example shift:

Total of 1,152 points — nearly 3× the ELV. Neither tool alone would be concerning for short periods, but the combination exceeds the legal limit.

Use our free HAVS Trigger Time Chart for an interactive lookup, or the HAVS Exposure Calculator to calculate multi-tool exposure for your crew.

What to Do With This Information

For site supervisors

• Print or save this table for quick reference during shift planning
• Before assigning a worker to breaking or compacting work, check the trigger time — if the task needs more time than the tool allows, schedule a second worker to rotate
• Log actual trigger times daily, not estimated averages

For company directors / H&S coordinators

• Use trigger times when writing your HAVS risk assessment — they show which tools are highest risk
• Invest in lower-vibration tool models for tasks with long trigger times (e.g., active vibration reduction breakers)
• Set up daily exposure tracking to catch multi-tool accumulation — this is where limits get exceeded without warning

When to act

• EAV reached (100 points): Introduce controls — tool rotation, job rotation, lower-vibration equipment, health surveillance
• ELV reached (400 points): Stop the worker using vibrating tools immediately for the rest of the shift. Investigate and update your risk assessment.

Sources

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

If you run a small construction, civils, or landscaping crew (2–50 workers), you've probably found yourself in a frustrating middle ground when it comes to HAVS compliance tracking.

On one side: free online calculators and the HSE's Excel spreadsheet. These handle one-off exposure calculations but don't track workers over time, don't alert you when someone approaches a threshold, and don't produce the kind of daily records HSE expects at inspection.

On the other side: enterprise monitoring systems with wrist-mounted sensors, docking stations, and cloud platforms — priced at thousands per year with minimum contract terms. Built for firms managing hundreds of workers across multiple sites.

Nothing in between. That's the gap.

This guide sets out what to look for if you're evaluating HAVS tracking options — whether you're comparing tools now or keeping an eye on what's emerging.

What Actually Matters for a Small Crew

1. Daily exposure calculation for multiple workers

A tool library with pre-loaded vibration magnitudes, where you log which worker used which tool for how long, and the system calculates their daily A(8) exposure automatically. This is the core function — everything else is secondary.

Free calculators like the HAVS Exposure Calculator handle the daily calculation for one worker at a time. What they don't do is aggregate across your crew and across days. You need per-worker history, not just per-calculation results.

2. Threshold alerts before a breach

The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 set two thresholds:

• EAV (2.5 m/s² A(8) / 100 points): Take action to reduce exposure
• ELV (5 m/s² A(8) / 400 points): Legal maximum — must not be exceeded

A useful tracking tool warns you before a worker hits these limits — not after. Look for alerts at 80% of EAV and 100% of EAV, with a hard stop at ELV. If a tool only shows you a number after the fact, it's a calculator, not a tracker.

3. Exportable compliance records

When HSE inspects, they want to see daily exposure records, not a spreadsheet you filled in the night before. Look for a tool that generates compliance reports showing:

• Per-worker daily exposure logs
• Dates when EAV was reached and what action was taken
• Health surveillance referral triggers
• Tool library with vibration magnitudes and their sources

PDF or CSV export covers most inspection scenarios. Bonus if reports are date-stamped and auditable.

4. Realistic data entry for site conditions

Construction sites don't have desk setups. Data entry needs to work on a phone, mid-shift, with dirty hands and limited signal. If a tool requires 10 fields per entry or only works on a laptop, it won't get used.

The best approach: minimal required fields (worker, tool, duration), with optional detail (task type, notes). Defaults for regular patterns (e.g., "same crew, same tools as yesterday").

5. Tool library with vibration magnitude data

Pre-loaded vibration magnitudes for common tools save time and reduce errors. HSE maintains a vibration magnitude database, and manufacturer data is published in tool manuals. A good tracking tool should make this data accessible without requiring you to look it up and type it in manually.

What Matters Less Than You'd Think

Real-time hardware monitoring

Wrist-mounted vibration sensors provide continuous, real-time exposure data. For a 200-person motorway project, that precision may be worth the cost. For a 6-person groundworks crew where the supervisor already knows who's on what tool, it's overkill.

Software-only tracking — where the supervisor logs tool usage at breaks or end of shift — is accurate enough for HSE compliance and costs a fraction of hardware solutions.

Multi-hazard integration

Some platforms bundle HAVS tracking with noise monitoring, COSHH assessments, RAMS generation, and permit-to-work systems. If you already use one of these platforms, check whether its HAVS module is genuinely useful or just a checkbox feature. If you don't use one, don't buy an enterprise platform just for HAVS tracking.

AI-powered analytics

Predictive analytics and trend modelling are interesting for research. For a small contractor, you need to know: is this worker over the EAV today? The answer is a simple calculation, not a machine learning model.

Questions to Ask When Evaluating

1. Can I track multiple workers' daily exposure without hardware? If it requires buying sensors, it's an enterprise solution wearing an SME label.
2. Does it alert me before thresholds are reached? Not after — before. The point of tracking is prevention.
3. Can I export a compliance report that HSE would accept? Ask to see a sample report. If it's just a data dump, it's not fit for purpose.
4. What does it cost per month for a crew of [your size]? If the answer is "contact sales" or requires an annual contract, it's not priced for small contractors.
5. Does it work on mobile, on site, with intermittent connectivity? Test it in the field, not in a demo.
6. How long does daily data entry take? If logging a 6-person crew takes more than 5 minutes, it won't happen consistently.

Where the Market Is Heading

The HAVS tracking market has historically been split between free calculators (fine for one-off checks) and enterprise hardware platforms (priced for Tier 1 contractors). Small contractors — the firms with 2–50 workers who are most likely to face HSE enforcement because they lack compliance systems — have been underserved.

Software-only tracking tools that work without hardware, price for small teams, and focus on the specific workflow of daily HAVS logging are starting to emerge. This is the space where the most practical value exists.

HAVS·Log is being built to fill exactly this gap — automatic threshold alerts, audit-ready records, and pricing that makes sense for a 10-person crew. Join the waitlist for early access.

Sources

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

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

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

If your crew uses angle grinders, breakers, plate compactors, or any vibrating hand tool, you have a legal duty to calculate their daily vibration exposure. The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/1093) set two thresholds every UK employer must track:

• Exposure Action Value (EAV): 2.5 m/s² A(8) — the level where you must take action to reduce exposure
• Exposure Limit Value (ELV): 5 m/s² A(8) — the legal maximum a worker can be exposed to in a day

Exceeding the ELV is a breach of the regulations. HSE enforcement can lead to improvement notices, prohibition notices, and prosecution with unlimited fines.

This guide walks through the calculation method step by step, with worked examples using real vibration magnitudes.

The A(8) Formula: What It Means

Daily vibration exposure is expressed as A(8) — the vibration magnitude normalised to an 8-hour reference period. The formula for a single tool is:

A(8) = vibration magnitude (m/s²) × √(exposure time ÷ 8 hours)

The vibration magnitude comes from the tool manufacturer's declared value (found in the tool's technical data sheet or instruction manual). Exposure time is the actual trigger time — how long the worker's hands are on the vibrating tool during the shift.

Key points about vibration magnitude

• Manufacturer values are typically measured under ISO 5349 test conditions. Real-world exposure is often higher.
• HSE recommends multiplying the manufacturer's declared value by a correction factor if real-world conditions differ significantly. Check the HSE vibration magnitude database for typical in-use values.
• If no manufacturer data exists, use the HSE database values for that tool type.

Step-by-Step Calculation

Step 1: List each vibrating tool used

For each worker, note every vibrating tool they used during the shift, along with:

• The vibration magnitude in m/s² (from manufacturer data or the HSE database)
• The actual trigger time in minutes or hours

Step 2: Calculate partial exposure for each tool

For each tool, calculate the partial A(8):

Partial A(8) = magnitude × √(trigger time in hours ÷ 8)

Or using the exposure points system (simpler for multi-tool calculations):

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

Then multiply by the number of hours of trigger time to get total points for that tool.

Step 3: Combine exposures

If a worker uses multiple tools, add the exposure points together:

Total daily points = points from tool 1 + points from tool 2 + ...

Check against the thresholds:

• 100 points = EAV (2.5 m/s² A(8))
• 400 points = ELV (5 m/s² A(8))

Worked Example: A Groundworker's Shift

A groundworker uses two tools during a morning shift:

Tool 1: Plate compactor — vibration magnitude 13 m/s², trigger time 45 minutes (0.75 hours)

• Exposure points per hour = (13 ÷ 2.5)² × 100 = 27.04 × 100 = 2,704 points/hour
• Points for 0.75 hours = 2,704 × 0.75 = 2,028 points

Tool 2: Cut-off saw — vibration magnitude 7 m/s², trigger time 30 minutes (0.5 hours)

• Exposure points per hour = (7 ÷ 2.5)² × 100 = 7.84 × 100 = 784 points/hour
• Points for 0.5 hours = 784 × 0.5 = 392 points

Total daily exposure: 2,028 + 392 = 2,420 points

This is over 400 points (ELV), which means the worker has exceeded the legal exposure limit. The employer must immediately reduce exposure — rotate the worker off vibrating tools, substitute with lower-vibration equipment, or reduce trigger time.

To convert back to A(8): A(8) = 2.5 × √(total points ÷ 100) = 2.5 × √24.2 = 12.3 m/s² A(8) — well above the 5 m/s² limit.

Trigger Times for Common Construction Tools

Trigger time is how long a worker can use a tool before reaching the EAV or ELV. Here are trigger times for tools commonly used on UK construction sites:

Values are approximate — always use the specific vibration magnitude from your tool's manufacturer data or the HSE database. For a comprehensive reference covering 18 tool types, see our HAVS trigger time guide.

What to Do When Thresholds Are Reached

At the EAV (100 points / 2.5 m/s² A(8)):

1. Introduce a programme of controls — tool rotation, job rotation, lower-vibration tools, anti-vibration gloves where appropriate
2. Provide health surveillance for exposed workers (Tier 1-3 screening)
3. Provide information and training on HAVS risks
4. Review your vibration risk assessment

At the ELV (400 points / 5 m/s² A(8)):

1. Stop the worker using vibrating tools immediately for the rest of the shift
2. Investigate why the limit was breached — was the trigger time estimate wrong, or was the wrong tool used?
3. Update your risk assessment and controls to prevent recurrence
4. Refer the worker for health surveillance if not already enrolled

Recording Your Calculations

The regulations require you to keep records of your vibration risk assessments and exposure calculations. At a minimum, record:

• Worker name and date
• Each tool used with its vibration magnitude
• Trigger time per tool
• Calculated daily exposure (points or A(8))
• Whether EAV or ELV was reached
• Actions taken in response

Paper log sheets work but are easy to lose or forget — if you need a structured starting point, use our free HAVS Log Sheet Template. A spreadsheet is better but rarely gets updated on site. Purpose-built tracking tools like HAVS·Log calculate exposure automatically and flag when thresholds are approached — before a breach happens, not after.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Confusing trigger time with shift length. A worker may be on site for 8 hours but only has their hands on a vibrating tool for 45 minutes. The calculation uses actual trigger time — hands on the tool, with the trigger pulled.

Using outdated vibration data. Tools wear over time and vibration increases. If the tool is older than the manufacturer's test data, the real magnitude is likely higher.

Forgetting multi-tool exposure. A bricklayer who uses both a disc cutter and a hammer drill in the same shift has combined exposure. Calculate each tool separately, then add the points together.

Ignoring low-vibration tools. Tools with magnitudes below 2.5 m/s² still contribute to total daily exposure. If a worker uses several low-vibration tools for extended periods, the combined exposure can exceed the EAV.

Summary

1. Get the vibration magnitude for each tool (manufacturer data or HSE database)
2. Record the actual trigger time per worker per tool
3. Calculate exposure points: (magnitude ÷ 2.5)² × 100 × hours
4. Add up points from all tools used that day
5. Check against 100 (EAV) and 400 (ELV) thresholds
6. Take action at EAV, stop exposure at ELV
7. Keep records for HSE inspection

Use our free HAVS Exposure Calculator to run these calculations instantly for multiple tools, with automatic EAV/ELV threshold checking.

Sources

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