One of the UK’s leading safety vibration specialists is unveiling a new mobile HAV safety device which will, help to monitor hand arm vibration exposure for those workers on the move.
Reactec, the company behind the award winning HAVmeter solution, which monitors and reports the amount of vibration workers are exposed to when using power tools, launches its new SMARTcharger at the Safety and Health Expo 2012 this month.
The SMARTcharger will allow operatives to continuously work remotely for weeks at a time, before having to return the HAVmeter to a Basestation – allowing the successful HAVmeter solution to be deployed across a greater number of mobile workers, helping them from contracting chronic injuries such as vibration white finger.
By recording the vibration exposure levels and trigger times from vibrating power tools, the HAVmeter solution helps provide an in-depth and accurate overview of every employee’s vibration exposure so individual levels stipulated by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) are not exceeded.
Jim O’Hagan, Managing Director of Reactec, hopes that the new SMARTcharger will enable firms across the UK to better manage the welfare of mobile and remote operators.
He said: “HAVmeters are already seen as the industry best practise for monitoring and managing employee exposure to vibration levels which can lead to Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) among workers across a variety of sectors.
“We are continuously working to make it as easier for operatives working both on site and mobile to better manage their welfare in terms of vibration health and safety.
“The development of the SMARTcharger has given us a better understanding of remote working practices and it’s important to realise that there are different types of workers out there with different needs.
“We see the product as a real extension to better manage Hand Arm Vibration exposure.”
The HAVmeter is a small, easy to use device that has been designed to help protect workers from contracting Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome by monitoring and recording their exposure to vibration from power tools and other vibrating equipment.
The system provides every employee with a HAVmeter device that is programmed with their individual vibration exposure limits, which they attach to every tool they use during their shift. The HAVmeter collates data about the amount of vibration workers are exposed to and flashes a warning when limits are reached.
Jim continued: “It’s extremely easy for workers to use the SMARTcharger with the HAVmeter.
“Many workers have not had the chance of working with the HAVmeter due to the fact they do not have a Basestation at hand to charge their devices when off site for days/weeks at a time.
“The SMARTcharger solves this problem as workers are able to charge their HAVmeter on the move and can eventually take it back to a Basestation for their data to be recorded and analysed.”
The SMARTcharger is the most practical way for single or small teams of workers working on projects such as remote projects in construction, park and grounds maintenance and highways to monitor their exposure to vibration from power tools.
HAVmeter is the UK’s leading system for monitoring vibration exposure and, in addition to being offered by major tool hire firms, it is used by many of the country’s biggest construction and manufacturing companies – including Balfour Beatty, The Crown Estate, Tarmac and Aston Martin.
Under the system, every employee is issued with an individual HAVmeter monitor that records their exposure from power tools and other vibrating equipment in order to keep them within the limits set by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
More information about the HAVmeter can be found on the website www.reactec.com
