WH SCOTT
HAVS Testing & Hand-Arm Vibration (HAV) Risk Assessment
We measure what your tools actually put into the operator’s hands, convert it into daily exposure in m/s² A(8) and HSE exposure points, and tag every tool with the time it can safely be used. Across the UK and Ireland.
What HAVS Testing Measures
HAVS testing measures how much vibration a hand-held or hand-guided tool actually transmits into an operator’s hands, so daily exposure can be calculated against the legal thresholds and reduced. It is how employers evidence compliance with the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 in Great Britain and S.I. No. 299 of 2007 in Ireland.
The two are widely confused. Hand-arm vibration (HAV) is the hazard, measured in m/s². Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) is the permanent nerve, blood vessel and joint damage it causes. We measure the tool and the exposure it creates.
Both frameworks set the same daily thresholds: an exposure action value of 2.5 m/s² A(8), or 100 HSE exposure points, and an exposure limit value of 5 m/s² A(8), or 400 points. Manufacturers’ declared values come from controlled test codes and understate a worn tool on hard material, so we measure under working load.
WH Scott has been in engineering since 1897 and completes over 400,000 statutory examinations a year. HAV testing runs inside that programme, so it can be booked alongside PUWER inspection and PAT testing on one visit, with results held against the asset record in CoreRFID.
What Our HAVS Testing Service Includes
- Task-based assessment using real trigger times, grip conditions and duty cycles
- Exposure in m/s² A(8) and HSE points, per tool and per operator, against the EAV and ELV
- Traffic-light tool tags showing permitted use time to each threshold
- Prioritised controls — substitution, consumables, maintenance, job rotation
- On-site or workshop testing, with rolling re-test programmes
- CoreRFID reporting and an evidence pack for HSE or HSA inspection
Tools & Equipment We Test
We measure anything hand-held or hand-guided that vibrates, from a single high-use breaker to a full hire fleet.
- Percussive and pneumatic — breakers, chipping hammers, needle guns, air chisels
- Rotary — angle grinders, cut-off saws, sanders, die grinders
- Drilling and groundworks — SDS and core drills, plate compactors, rammers, floor saws
- Forestry and grounds — chainsaws, brush cutters, strimmers, hedge trimmers
Across construction, manufacturing, utilities, rail, water, forestry, highways and facilities management.
Our HAVS Process
- Survey — We inventory the tools in scope, identify which tasks and operators drive exposure, and say where existing data will do.
- Measurement — Transducers hard-mounted to the grip surface, the tool run under working load on representative material, to BS EN ISO 5349-2 and Appendix 2 of HSE L140.
- Calculation — Magnitudes combined with observed trigger times to give daily exposure per tool and per operator.
- Tagging — Each tool tagged at the point of use with its magnitude and permitted use time.
- Reporting — A written assessment ranking exposure by operator and task, with prioritised controls, issued through CoreRFID.
- Re-test — Vibration rises as tools wear, so we set an interval by magnitude and duty, and re-measure after repair or modification.
Vibration Compliance in the UK and Ireland
In Great Britain the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 require you to assess exposure, reduce it so far as is reasonably practicable, and provide health surveillance and training above the action value. Northern Ireland applies the equivalent Regulations of 2005, enforced by HSENI.
In Ireland the duties sit in Regulations 133 to 142 and Schedule 6 of S.I. No. 299 of 2007, set out in HSA guidance. The values are identical, but the instrument and terminology are not — an Irish assessment should cite the Irish provisions, not a UK-worded report, and sits alongside your work equipment maintenance duties under S.I. No. 299.
Related Services
PUWER Inspection & Compliance Services
PUWER inspection services ensure work equipment complies with the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. Regular examinations verify that machinery and equipment are safe for continued use, supporting legal compliance and workforce safety across industrial environments.
PAT Testing (Portable Appliance Testing)
Portable Appliance Testing (PAT testing) ensures electrical equipment is maintained in a safe condition in line with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. It combines visual inspection and electrical testing to reduce the risk of injury, equipment failure, and property damage.
LOLER Thorough Examination
LOLER Thorough Examination — Examination and certification of lifting equipment and accessories under LOLER 1998. Six-monthly for accessories and anything lifting people, twelve-monthly otherwise, or to a written scheme of examination.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between HAV and HAVS?
HAV is hand-arm vibration — the hazard, measured in m/s². HAVS is hand-arm vibration syndrome — the disease it causes, affecting the nerves, blood vessels, muscles and joints of the hand, wrist and arm. HAV is what we measure; HAVS is what measuring it prevents. The damage, once done, is permanent.
Is HAVS testing a legal requirement?
Not by that name. The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 require you to assess daily vibration exposure and reduce it, and HSE guidance says you only need to measure magnitudes where you cannot get suitable data elsewhere. Manufacturers’ declared values come from controlled test codes and commonly understate a worn tool on hard material — which is where measurement earns its place.
What are the EAV and the ELV?
The exposure action value is 2.5 m/s² A(8), or 100 exposure points. Above it you must reduce exposure, train operators and provide health surveillance. The exposure limit value is 5 m/s² A(8), or 400 points, and must not be exceeded. Points are used because they add up across several tools in a shift; A(8) values do not.
Do wrist- or glove-mounted vibration monitors count as HAVS testing?
No. HSE guidance requires the transducer to be mounted rigidly to the vibrating surface, and states that results measured at the fingers, back of the hand or wrist are unlikely to be representative. It also warns against confusing electronic monitoring systems with measurement systems, and reports up to 20% variation between monitoring systems on the same task. Wearables are useful as tool timers — not as a substitute for measurement to BS EN ISO 5349.
Is HAVS testing the same as HAVS health surveillance?
No, though the industry uses one term for both. What we do is engineering measurement of the vibration a tool produces. Health surveillance is a medical process — baseline and periodic assessment of workers by an occupational health provider. Both are required above the EAV. We provide the measurement; health surveillance comes from your occupational health provider.
How often should HAVS testing be repeated?
There is no statutory interval. High-magnitude, high-use tools generally warrant annual re-test, and any tool should be re-measured after significant repair, modification or a change of consumable or task. We set an interval per tool rather than a blanket one.
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Tell Us About Your Project
Whether you need a single piece of equipment or a fully engineered lifting system, our specialists can help. Tell us your load, environment and compliance requirements — we’ll do the rest.