How likely is it that Stockholm Stage 1 of the hand arm vibration syndromewill progress to Stages 2 and 3?

The progression of symptoms in the hand arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) is de pendent on the interaction of individual and workplace factors. Workplace f actors include type, magnitude and intermittency of exposure to hand transm itted vibration (HTV), anti-vibration tool design and workpiece characteris tics. Individual susceptibility and constitutional factors are poorly under stood and the reliance on anamnesis for diagnosis can lead to recall bias, inaccurate classification and an unreliable assessment of the stage of dete rioration. This may be overcome by the adoption of multiple standardized te sting. The introduction of a policy covering identification, risk assessmen t, health surveillance and reasonably practicable control measures will hav e the most significant impact on the incidence of new cases and deteriorati on in established cases.