Hand-arm vibration syndrome from exposure to high-pressure hoses

Hand-arm vibration syndrome has been reported in the literature to occur fo llowing exposure to vibration from the use of many tools, but to date there have been no case reports of its occurrence in workers who have used high- pressure hoses, alone or with other tools. To remedy this, the case histori es of nine subjects (two without mixed exposure) examined in the UK and Can ada are presented, together with their severity classified according to the Stockholm scales. Attention is drawn to the need to use multiple diagnosti c tests to establish the diagnosis and the need to implement vibration isol ation and damping methodologies, as and when feasible, with respect to hose nozzles in order to minimize the hazard. The ultimate goal for tool manufa cturers, hygienists and engineers should be to reduce workplace vibration l evels to meet national and international guidelines and legislation, includ ing UK Health & Safety Executive guidelines and European Economic Community directives. The respective risk levels are presented, together with vibrat ion measurements on hoses used by some of the cases.