Posted By Chris Pope A reply from a specialist HSE inspector : Please paste my reply and the question to the web. I assume this is hypothetical but if not perhaps you would like to contact me direct and we can talk this particular case through in proper detail. There may be ways of elimination, substitution etc. Not sure what the job is as it is not mentioned but firstly consider elimination etc. If following this you decide that a man has to carry out the work then it must be managed so that exposure is reduced to as low a level as is reasonably practicable. If this level is the EAV (200 points or 2.5m/s/s A(8))then certain duties apply (RA, Consult with staff, Health Surveillance, instruction and training, review) If this level is the ELV (400 points or 5 m/s/s A(8)) then all of the duties above apply plus the need not to exceed the ELV from 2007 and 2010 (transitional periods for new and existing tools). So to summarise - eliminate or substitute and then if vibrating tool or process still required reduce exposure to a level as low as reasonably practicable. Hope this helps and if you wish to discuss further please call me. The free leaflet INDG175 Control the risks from HAV details some controls page 13 and 14 (reasonably practicable) and others are listed in the purchasable Guidance on the regs - L140. More examples can be found on the HSE - Vibration Web pages. Andrew Thompson 01752 276330