The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Negligent exposures to hand-transmitted vibration

Negligent exposures to hand-transmitted vibration
Negligent exposures to hand-transmitted vibration
Objectives: If the negligence of an employer results in the disability in an employee, the employer is responsible, in whole or in part, for the disability. The employer is wholly responsible when the worker would not have developed the disability if the employer had taken all reasonable preventative measures. The employer is only partly responsible if the worker would probably have developed some disability even if the employer had taken all reasonable precautions. The employer’s responsibility may be estimated from the difference between the actual disability of the worker and the disability that the worker would have suffered if the employer had taken all reasonable preventative measures. This paper considers alternative ways of apportioning negligent and non-negligent exposures to hand-transmitted vibration.

Results: The equivalent daily vibration exposure, A(8), used in current EU Directives is shown to be unsuitable for distinguishing between the consequences of negligent and non-negligent exposures because the risks of developing a disorder from hand-transmitted vibration also depend on the years of exposure. Furthermore, daily exposures take no account of individual susceptibility or the practicality of reducing exposure. The consequences of employer negligence may be estimated from the delay in the onset and progression of disorder that would have been achieved if the employer had acted reasonably, such as by reducing vibration magnitude and exposure duration to the minimum that was reasonably achievable in the circumstances. This seems to be fair and reasonable for both employers and employees and indicates the consequences of negligence—the period of the worker’s life with disease as a result of negligence and the period for which their employment opportunities may be restricted as a result of the onset of the disorder due to negligence.

Conclusions: The effects of negligence may be estimated from the delay in the onset of disease or disability that would have occurred if the employer had behaved reasonably. This definition of negligence encourages employers to reduce risks to the lowest reasonably practical level, consistent with EU Directives.
hand-transmitted vibration, vibration-induced white finger, hand–arm vibration syndrome, symptoms, signs
0340-0131
645-659
Griffin, M.J.
24112494-9774-40cb-91b7-5b4afe3c41b8
Griffin, M.J.
24112494-9774-40cb-91b7-5b4afe3c41b8

Griffin, M.J. (2008) Negligent exposures to hand-transmitted vibration. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 81 (5), 645-659. (doi:10.1007/s00420-007-0251-7).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Objectives: If the negligence of an employer results in the disability in an employee, the employer is responsible, in whole or in part, for the disability. The employer is wholly responsible when the worker would not have developed the disability if the employer had taken all reasonable preventative measures. The employer is only partly responsible if the worker would probably have developed some disability even if the employer had taken all reasonable precautions. The employer’s responsibility may be estimated from the difference between the actual disability of the worker and the disability that the worker would have suffered if the employer had taken all reasonable preventative measures. This paper considers alternative ways of apportioning negligent and non-negligent exposures to hand-transmitted vibration.

Results: The equivalent daily vibration exposure, A(8), used in current EU Directives is shown to be unsuitable for distinguishing between the consequences of negligent and non-negligent exposures because the risks of developing a disorder from hand-transmitted vibration also depend on the years of exposure. Furthermore, daily exposures take no account of individual susceptibility or the practicality of reducing exposure. The consequences of employer negligence may be estimated from the delay in the onset and progression of disorder that would have been achieved if the employer had acted reasonably, such as by reducing vibration magnitude and exposure duration to the minimum that was reasonably achievable in the circumstances. This seems to be fair and reasonable for both employers and employees and indicates the consequences of negligence—the period of the worker’s life with disease as a result of negligence and the period for which their employment opportunities may be restricted as a result of the onset of the disorder due to negligence.

Conclusions: The effects of negligence may be estimated from the delay in the onset of disease or disability that would have occurred if the employer had behaved reasonably. This definition of negligence encourages employers to reduce risks to the lowest reasonably practical level, consistent with EU Directives.

Text
14580 2008 MJG - Negligent exposures to HTV - Accepted Manuscript
Download (786kB)

More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 28 September 2007
Published date: April 2008
Keywords: hand-transmitted vibration, vibration-induced white finger, hand–arm vibration syndrome, symptoms, signs
Organisations: Human Sciences Group

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 49614
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/49614
ISSN: 0340-0131
PURE UUID: 956988cf-e937-4e46-aa1a-dcc7958cee2b
ORCID for M.J. Griffin: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-0743-9502

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 23 Nov 2007
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 09:57

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: M.J. Griffin ORCID iD

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×