Read the full text: Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 on legislation.gov.uk.
The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/1093) require employers to assess and control the risk to employees from vibration transmitted through hand-held tools and equipment, or through the whole body from vibrating vehicles, plant and machinery. The damage vibration causes — most commonly hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) — builds up gradually with repeated exposure and is generally irreversible once established, which is why the regulations set precise, measurable exposure figures rather than relying on subjective judgement.
They are made under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). They apply wherever employees could be exposed to significant vibration — construction, groundworks, forestry, manufacturing, agriculture, and any work involving vibrating hand tools, off-road vehicles or heavy plant.
Hand-Arm vs Whole-Body Vibration
The regulations distinguish between two different exposure routes, each with its own limits. Hand-arm vibration is transmitted through the hands and arms from hand-held or hand-guided power tools and equipment — hammer drills, breakers, chainsaws, angle grinders, impact wrenches and similar tools — and is the cause of hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). Whole-body vibration is transmitted through the seat or feet from vehicles and machinery — off-road plant, forklift trucks, tractors and similar — and is linked to lower back pain and other musculoskeletal effects.
The Exact Exposure Figures
Regulation 4 sets separate action values and limit values for each route, measured as daily exposure normalised to an 8-hour reference period, expressed as A(8):
- Hand-arm vibration: exposure action value 2.5 m/s² A(8); exposure limit value 5 m/s² A(8).
- Whole-body vibration: exposure action value 0.5 m/s² A(8); exposure limit value 1.15 m/s² A(8).
The action value is the point at which specific control measures and, where appropriate, health surveillance are triggered. The limit value is the absolute ceiling that employees must not be exposed above, except in narrow, tightly-conditioned circumstances.
Risk Assessment and Control Measures
Regulation 5 requires an assessment of the risk created by vibration at the workplace. Regulation 6 then requires that risk to be eliminated at source or reduced as low as reasonably practicable — and where the action value is likely to be reached, a specific programme of organisational and technical measures must be put in place, covering: alternative working methods that reduce vibration exposure; choosing work equipment of appropriate ergonomic design that produces the least vibration for the job; auxiliary equipment that reduces vibration-related injury risk; proper maintenance of equipment, the workplace and workplace systems; sensible design and layout of workplaces, work stations and rest facilities; training so equipment is used correctly and safely; limiting the duration and magnitude of exposure; work schedules with adequate rest periods; and providing clothing to protect against cold and damp, since cold worsens the circulation problems associated with HAVS.
What Happens If the Exposure Limit Is Exceeded
Employees must not be exposed above the exposure limit value. If it is exceeded, the employer must act immediately: reduce exposure below the limit straight away, identify why it was exceeded, and modify the existing control measures to prevent it happening again. There is a narrow exception for genuinely variable work where exposure usually stays below the action value but occasionally spikes above the limit value — but only where weekly-averaged exposure stays below the limit, there's evidence the actual risk is lower than constant exposure at the limit, risk is reduced as far as reasonably practicable given the special circumstances, and the affected employees receive increased health surveillance.
Health Surveillance
Regulation 7 requires health surveillance where the risk assessment shows a risk to health, or employees are likely to be exposed at or above an action value — provided surveillance is genuinely appropriate, meaning a recognised disease or health effect can be linked to the exposure, it's probable under the actual conditions of the work, and there are valid techniques to detect it. A health record must be kept for each employee under surveillance, with access on reasonable notice and copies available to the enforcing authority. If surveillance identifies a disease or health effect linked to vibration exposure, the employer must: have a suitably qualified person inform the employee and advise on further surveillance, including after exposure ends; be informed themselves of significant findings (subject to medical confidentiality); review the risk assessment and the control measures under Regulation 6; consider moving the employee to work with no further vibration risk; and review the health of other similarly exposed employees, including a medical examination where recommended.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
The regulations don't set out their own offences — like most HSE-enforced regulations, breaches are prosecuted under Section 33 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974: a fine and/or up to 6 months' imprisonment on summary conviction, or an unlimited fine and/or imprisonment on indictment in the Crown Court. HAVS remains one of the most commonly reported occupational diseases in industries that use vibrating hand tools, and enforcement and civil claims frequently follow years of exposure where control measures or health surveillance were inadequate.
How This Relates to Risk Assessments
The vibration risk assessment under Regulation 5 sits alongside the general risk assessment duty under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Where vibrating tools or plant are genuinely in use — groundworks, demolition, forestry, agriculture — a proper assessment needs actual exposure data for the tools involved, not just a general mention of vibration as a hazard. Anyrisks can generate the wider workplace risk assessment covering vibration as one of several hazards for a given activity, such as a construction risk assessment where breakers, drills or compactors are part of the job, but quantifying actual daily vibration exposure against the action and limit values typically needs manufacturer vibration data for the specific tools and usage patterns involved.
A Worked Example
A groundworks team uses a breaker to remove old concrete for several hours a day. The manufacturer's data shows the tool produces a vibration magnitude that, at the trigger time the crew actually uses it, works out close to the hand-arm exposure action value of 2.5 m/s² A(8). The employer responds by limiting continuous trigger time per operator, rotating operators between vibrating and non-vibrating tasks through the day, choosing a lower-vibration breaker model where the job allows it, and providing warm, dry gloves given the outdoor winter conditions. Operators regularly exposed at or above the action value are placed under health surveillance, including periodic checks for early HAVS symptoms such as tingling or numbness in the fingers.
