A worker has been awarded £20,000 after his employers went against the advice of company doctors and exposed him to work that was repetitive and involved vibration. From 1976 to 2000, the employee worked as an aircraft engineer for GE Engine Aircraft Services, where he refurbished and repaired large jet engines for commercial airliners. In 1992 he was diagnosed with Vibration White Finger (VWF), which is a disorder of the blood supply to the fingers and hand caused by regular use of vibrating hand-held tools. After diagnosis, the company's medical experts told his employer that he should not be exposed to further work involving vibration. However, he continued to be employed in areas with vibration and repetitive cycle work.
As a result, he went on to develop Carpal Tunnel Syndrome which left him permanently disabled and forced to take early retirement. VWF and Hand Arm Vibration (HAV) are a major cause of occupational ill health, and according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) around five million workers are exposed to them in their workplace, with two million exposed to levels of vibration where there is a risk of developing disease.
Under the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations SI 2005/1093, employers have a duty to protect their employees from the effects of such vibration at work. In conjunction with this are two Approved Code of Practices:
