A housing association has today been fined after failing to manage exposure to vibration, resulting in a diagnosis of Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVs) for one of its employees.

Burnley Magistrates’ Court heard how employees in the grounds maintenance section of Calico Homes Limited were regularly exposed to vibration when using gardening equipment. In August 2017, an employee of the company received a diagnosis of HAVS who had previously worked in this section.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Calico Homes Limited had not carried out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment of the use of vibratory tools. The company were unaware of the extent to which employees were exposed to vibration and so had not implemented suitable control measures. Calico Homes Limited also failed to provide employees with suitable information, instruction, and training.

Calico Homes Limited, of Croft Street, Burnley, pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company has been fined £20,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,335.24.

HSE inspector Jennifer French said after the hearing: “This was a case of the company failing to implement control measures to manage the risk of vibration. If they had done this, and provided adequate training to employees, then the affected employee would not have developed the condition”.