Hmmmm Bolting the stable when the horse has escaped. A better approach may be to give instruction as to the time limits that they are allowed to use the equipment for. If staff have kept with the requirement keep this recorded. If staff have gone over the limits this need to be recorded and investigated to find out why. Irrespective if staff do not like paperwork, recording exposure time is a fundamental element of managing the risks of HAVS. Sorry - no ideas, but recording need to be made.

After working in this area since the 1990's we tried all types of things but ended up with a simple single info sheet for the guys to read etc. on site and where the guys entered their usage times and colour coded the kit so it was obvious which kit was the worst The above was backed up by a real management system which included on site measurements [no notice was taken of manufacturers info], task talks and similar with formal nurse lead occie health envolvement

I defiantly agree with this, use real measurements from the equipment being used. Asking staff to record their exposure times is one part of the management plan. But also remember staff training is also important for example, in using the tools, how they are held, wearing gloves in the cold, job rotation, identifying the symptoms etc....

Have you sufficient estimate information in hand to confirm whether operatives are at or above the EAV? Asking employees to record "use" (which tends to be greatly exaggerated from actual trigger-times) is not really a valid way to commence the risk assessment process.

cobblers / friends - The HSE have completely reversed their position from the early 90's to the mid 2000's ----- one of my past employers [Liverpool CC] paid out millions to put an adequate management sytem in place and because of the claims all on the back of the HSE insisting that all people should be adequately measured etc. but as the laws have changed its now very hard to prove an employers negligence so the HSE have done a U turn

Had to deal with this issue when HSE called on a client - a large garage / paint spray op. They looked for: How we had assessed the vibration ratings of the tools - this was done via online database(name escapes me) and some spot measurements on actual kit. How we gathered information on time usage - this was done via a daily log filled in by the operative and backed by observations of actual tasks. For example operative would shrug and claim it took five minutes to change a wheel when in fact trigger time when observed was closer to 40 seconds. How we provided guidance to individuals - We trained them using the HSE pocket card. Managers monitored on regular basis. Tools were marked High / Med / Low risk and this was related back to a recommended maximum use period. How we maintained tools - a simple inspection process for most kit. A couple of the higher risk items we visually inspected and then tested every year to see if vibration levels had changed due to wear etc. You need to ensure managers enforce the rules and keep records. They also looked for a purchase and hire policy. Something that helps you pick a peace of kit based on the lowest available vibration rating for the job - rather than just the cheapest.