SIX TOWN HOUSING

VIBRATION & NOISE POLICY

V1March 2009 Page No 1

CONTENTS

1.0 Policy Statement

2.0 Scope of Policy

3.0 Definitions

4.0 General Responsibilities and Roles under the Policy

4.1 Chief Executive4.2 Directors4.3 Managers / Supervisors4.4 Employees

5.0 Arrangements

5.1 Employee Pre-Employment Screening5.2 Employee Education and Awareness5.3 Procurement Procedure5.4 Maintenance Procedure5.5 Hire Procedure5.6 Contract Procedure5.7 Equipment Register and Auditing5.8 Equipment Testing

6.0 Principles of Policy

6.1 Policy Accessibility6.2 Policy Implementation and Review

7.0 Relevant Documents/legislation

8.0 Records

9.0 Version Control

V1March 2009 Page No 2

1.0 POLICY STATEMENTSix Town Housing is committed to protecting its employees and those engaged in providing services to Six Town Housing from personal injury resulting from excessive exposure to vibrating equipment and noise arising from its activities.

All directorates will ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, that risks to the health and/or safety of employees arising from work activities are eliminated or adequately controlled.

Measures to control the risks from working with high vibration hand tools or noisy equipment include risk assessments and formal safe systems of work. This is in addition to a purchasing policy for new equipment and a comprehensive health surveillance programme.

Suitable and sufficient information and training will be provided, as necessary, to ensure that this policy and procedures are fully understood and that risks to the health and safety of employees are kept to a minimum.

The policy will be issued to all relevant staff as required and will be posted on the intranet site.

2.0 SCOPE OF POLICY AND PROCEDUERSThe information contained in this policy and procedures applies to all employees that work with or manage work involving hand-held powered tools, hand-guided powered equipment and hand-fed powered equipment or any other noisy work equipment.

3.0 DEFINITIONSHand-Arm VibrationHand-arm vibration (HAVS) is a widespread industrial disease affecting tens of thousands of workers, Vibration-induced White Finger (VWF) being its best-known effect. When people regularly hold vibrating tools or machinery, as part of their work there is likely to be a risk of injury.

Whole Body VibrationWhole-body vibration is shaking or jolting of the human body through a supporting surface (usually a seat or the floor), for example when driving or riding on a vehicle along an unmade road, operating earthmoving machines or standing on a structure attached to a large, powerful, fixed machine which is impacting or vibrating.

Noise Induced Hearing LossNoise at work can cause hearing loss that can be temporary or permanent. People often experience temporary deafness after leaving a noisy place. Although hearing recovers within a few hours, this should not be ignored. It is a sign that if you continue to be exposed to the noise your hearing could be permanently damaged. Permanent hearing damage can be caused immediately by sudden, extremely loud, explosive noises, eg from guns or cartridge-operated machines. But hearing loss is usually gradual because of

V1March 2009 Page No 3

prolonged exposure to noise. It may only be when damage caused by noise over the years combines with hearing loss due to ageing that people realise how deaf they have become.

TinnitusTinnitus is another form of damage caused by exposure ot noise. Tinnitus usually manifests itself as ringing, whistling, buzzing or humming in the ears. It is a distressing condition which can lead to disturbed sleep.

4.0 GENERAL RESPONSIBILITES AND ROLES UNDER THE POLICY

4.1 Chief ExecutiveThe Chief Executive has overall legal responsibility for Health and Safety within Six Town Housing.

4.2 DirectorsAll Directors have responsibility to ensure the overall implementation of this Policy. The Director of Technical Services has responsibility for revision and updating of this policy and procedures.

4.3 Management / SupervisorsIt is the responsibility of those managers who manage working activities involving hand-held power tools, hand-guided powered equipment or hand-fed powered equipment, or any other noisy or vibrating equipment to: -

Read, understand and implement the contents of this policy and procedures;

Ensure risk assessments are carried out where hazards identified from vibrating or noisy machinery are identified;

Use the findings of the risk assessments to devise and implement local safe systems of work which are not covered by the colour coding system (i.e. written safety instructions and/or procedures for the working practices of the employees for which they are responsible;

Ensure that the above mentioned safe systems are to a standard similar to (or better than) established by this document;

Bring to the attention of those for whom they have health and safety responsibilities the contents of such systems (i.e. the provision of actual documentation);

When appropriate, recommend to the Health and Safety Advisor the requirement for health surveillance to be undertaken on those employees identified as being potentially at risk from HAVS and WBV or Noise Induced Hearing Loss, where they have not already been identified; and take appropriate action to prevent reoccurrence.

Provide and maintain a work environment, which is so far as reasonably practicable safe and without risk to health;

Ensure that safe systems of work are regularly reviewed and updated; Ensure that appropriate training on HAVS/WBV/Noise for all employees

at risk and/or exposed to vibratory or noisy equipment is carried out; Provide adequate information on any known potential health and safety

hazards associated with an employees work; Recognise the need for and implement protective measures required;

V1March 2009 Page No 4

Provide the Health and Safety Advisor with details of staff who are exposed to vibration or noise and training or health surveillance undertaken;

Keep adequate record of purchasing, maintenance and inspection and testing of equipment

Comply with manufacturers guidance

In the event of uncertainty managers should seek advice from the Health and Safety Advisor.

4.4 Employee Responsibilities Read, understand and adhere to any safe systems prepared by their

line managers or within corporate policies and procedures; Bring to the attention of their managers, any deficiencies and/or

problems in relation to adhering to, or the implementation of, such safe systems of work;

Bring to the attention of their managers any signs or symptoms of HAVS/WBV or Noise Induced Hearing Loss that they think they have developed; and

When requested, attend the Occupational Health Unit for Assessment and health surveillance

Check the equipment being used regularly during use; Comply with manufacturers guidance in relation to each piece of

equipment; Be familiar with this policy and procedure and ensure that the colour

coding system for both noise and vibration is understood and adhered to;

In the event of uncertainty employees should seek advice from their line managers or the Health and Safety Advisor.

5.0 ARRANGEMENTS

5.1 Employee Pre Employment Screening

Six Town Housing has identified the individual employees and sections where exposure to vibrating equipment or noise may arise.

Prior to commencement with Six Town Housing new employees will be required to complete a pre-employment screening health questionnaire which will identify any potential past exposure an employee may have experienced to noise or vibration. Where it has been identified that there was a possibility of past exposure, applicants will be screened by Occupational Health for symptoms of Hand Arm Vibration, Noise Induced Hearing Loss or other medical conditions, which may restrict or prohibit work with vibrating or noisy equipment prior to employment.

Advice from Six Town Housing’s Occupational Health Provider will be considered when making offers of employment. Where appropriate all practical adjustments will be made to accommodate any restrictions identified.

5.2 Employee Education and Awareness

V1March 2009 Page No 5

Six Town Housing will provide training to ensure that any employees engaged on works which may involve significant exposure to vibrating or noisy equipment fully understand: -

1. The risks associated with exposure to vibration and noise.2. The symptoms associated with the onset and progression of the

relevant diseases.3. The effect of external factors of the onset and development of HAVS

(Cold, Smoking, Diabetes, other circulatory inhibitors and diseases) and Noise (Lifestyle issues etc)

4. What action to take if they are suffering from any symptoms of the diseases

5. The systems for notifying Six Town Housing of any event, which could or does give rise to the risk of excessive vibration or noise, or of any medical condition, which appears to support a diagnosis of a vibration-induced condition or noise induced hearing loss

6. Six Town Housing’s procedure for identifying the vibration or noise levels and daily exposure times for all equipment to which they have access.

7. Six Town Housing’s procedures for monitoring daily exposure to vibration and noise.

8. The importance of ensuring that employees do not exceed the maximum daily exposure levels.

9. The significance of the procedures put in place to minimise the risk to staff, including their own obligations with regard to control measures in place (including but not limited to time sheets to confirm that they have not exceeded the maximum daily exposure levels.)

10. The importance of testing equipment and maintaining documents.

This training would normally be delivered through toolbox talks and/or a short training course.

5.3 Procurement Procedures

All Six Town Housing sections will seek to procure equipment with the lowest possible vibration and noise levels that are fit for and represent best practice and value for money.

Guidance may be obtained through websites such as http://www.operc.com/pages/havtecinfo.asp, which is a Hand Arm Vibration testing facility and Six Town Housing’s Vibration and Noise database system.

Wherever possible sections will standardise on one type of equipment to simplify the process of determining vibration and noise levels, auditing and equipment identification by employees.

5.4 Maintenance Procedures

All sections will ensure that all equipment they operate is properly maintained and, that employees are advised on the need to inspect all equipment including any specific checks needed to manage the risk of vibration or noise prior to use and note, report and repair or replace any equipment which

V1March 2009 Page No 6

demonstrates excessive and abnormal vibration or noise in regular use. Records of inspections should be recorded and retained in a safe place. Please note that this applies whether or not the equipment is hired or purchased.

5.5 Hire Procedures

All Six Town Housing sections will ensure that equipment hired is maintained, at least in accordance with the manufacturers/suppliers' recommendation and that hire and choice of equipment is conducted with the same general objectives applied to procurement above.

Most hire organisations provide guidance on vibration and noise levels for each tool and each employing department will ensure that employees are aware where this information may be found.

5.6 Contract Procedures

All sections procuring works by contract from external service providers will ensure that contractors' health and safety procedures include proper procedures for protection from excessive exposure to vibration and noise and that this is a requirement of the Contract. Six Town Housing will put in place measures to audit the Contractors’ compliance.

5.7 Equipment Registers and Auditing

Each section must put in place an equipment register that identifies all items of equipment with the potential to give rise to excessive vibration or noise in normal use. This register will identify the equipment by Type, Manufacturer, Model, Serial Number, Stores Asset Number and type of use i.e. drilling, drilling with hammer action and will include a maximum daily trigger time.

Each time a new item is purchased, the relevant section should advise the Health and Safety Advisor using the form attached in the appendices who will then add the equipment to the Six Town Housing noise and vibration database.

The Health and Safety Advisor will calculate the noise and vibration levels and will forward a tag(s) to the relevant department for fixing to the tool.

5.8 Equipment testing

New tools, which are not currently measured on the database, may require testing.

This will be carried out on a regular basis, by either the Health and Safety Advisor, or an external consultant under normal operating conditions.

Once the noise and vibration levels for this tool have been calculated these will be inputted into the noise and vibration database and the relevant tag(s) will be issued.

V1March 2009 Page No 7

6.0 PRINCIPLES OF THE POLICY

6.1 Policy AccessibilityThe Vibration & Noise Policy and Procedures have been drawn up with full consultation with staff, Trade Union Representation, Health and Safety Committee(s) and the Executive Management Team.

The Policy and Procedures are available for viewing on the intranet and hard copies will be available to site staff and other staff who do not have intranet access on request to their Line Manager. Translations/large print/audio versions can be made available on request to the Health and Safety Advisor.

6.2 Policy Implementation and ReviewThe policy and guidance will be reviewed every two years unless there are any significant changes in legislation or practice.

The Health and Safety Committee(s) will monitor the effectiveness of the policy and other measures to reduce vibration and noise induced illness and promote workplace health and safety. This will include monitoring the outcomes of risk assessments, vibration and noise related absence statistics and the attendance of any associated training courses.

7.0 RELEVANT DOCUMENTS/LEGISLATION

Six Town Housing Corporate Health and Safety Policy Absence and Attendance Policy and Guidelines Six Town Housing Health and Safety Manual Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations The Control of Noise at Work Regulations The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences

Regulations The Access to Health Records Act

8.0 RECORDS

A record of the database must be kept until it is believed to be no longer valid. Individual health records will be kept for 6 years from the last date of entry.

9.0 IMPLEMENTATION As this is a new policy and procedures Six Town Housing have developed a management action plan to deliver the implementation of this policy as below.

V1March 2009 Page No 8

Action Required Action by: Completion Date Update

Job shadow following high noise/vibration level tasks: -

Strimming, core drills, hedge trimming, grind out of brick work

Union Rep – John Sandiford?

Or Maintenance Officers?15/04/10

Complete daily exposure sheets to assess whether any other high

vibration/noise exposure tasks other than those identified above

Union Rep – Steve Keighley

31/03/10

Install database and analyse measurements

H&S Advisor 01/03/10 Complete

Make recommendations on findings of analysis of measurements

H&S Advisor 08/03/10 Complete

Produce draft Procedures H&S Advisor 08/03/10 Complete

Consult with unions and staff H&S Advisor 15/04/10

Obtain EMT Approval H&S Advisor 15/04/10

Obtain H&S or Staffing Consultative Committee Approval

H&S Advisor 15/04/10

Obtain Board Approval 30/05/10

Arrange for noise and vibration training to all operatives

H&S Advisor 15/07/10

V1March 2009 Page No 9

All sections to complete tool registers and analysis to be completed on which tools are not included on the database

All Managers 15/04/10

Investigate appropriate hearing protection for high dB tools

H&S Advisor 08/03/10

Arrange for Stores to stock recommended hearing protection and

issue only the recommended models to Six Town Housing employees

Head of Repairs and Maintenance

15/05/10

Compare new tool registers with existing data

H&S Advisor 15/05/10

Obtain tags H&S Advisor 31/04/10

Replace tools – see list below

Makita 8406Black and Decker KS888E jigsaw

Makita Core DrillSkil 5150 Circular Saw

Implement two person jobs Managers 15/04/10

Arrange for back log of health surveillance to take place

H&S Advisor 30/05/10

V1March 2009 Page No 10

10.0 VERSION CONTROL

DATE ACTION NAME VERSION NO03/03/10 Production of draft policy

and proceduresSue Newton 1 – March 2010

V1March 2009 Page No 11