Rank: New forum user 
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I am involved in a working group on our site tasked with controlling HAVS exposure. We have measured the vibration emitted by all our hand tools and calculated the exposure points for each per 5mins/15min/1hr. We also have a operators record, where the end user records what tool they are using and the duration. Built into this record are exposure limit stop and check points(x2), which require supervisor authorisation to exceed until the daily exposure limit is reached.
What I need to know is what is the legal requirement for me to keep these records, or can they be disposed of each day if the maximum exposure limit isn't reached? Also do I need to keep the raw data from the vibration emission tests now that we have calculated the exposure points for each tool?
I also have various bits of kit to undertake dynamic sampling of employees using HAVS rated tooling.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Today's maximum may not be tomorrows
If you throw away records daily how do you know what the employee has been previously exposed to?
Were they 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 of the maximum on a particular day?
Persistently at that level every working day because that is how the supervisor sign off works? Perthaps the question isn't about the records being generated but the policy using the data to drive a change to zero exposure rather than just keeping the employees under a limit.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Today's maximum may not be tomorrows
If you throw away records daily how do you know what the employee has been previously exposed to?
Were they 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 of the maximum on a particular day?
Persistently at that level every working day because that is how the supervisor sign off works? Perthaps the question isn't about the records being generated but the policy using the data to drive a change to zero exposure rather than just keeping the employees under a limit.
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Rank: Super forum user
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There isn't any legal requirements as what you are recording is just compliance information by the looks of it..the only guidance is in Health Surviellence - to be completed at job start (within 6 months) and 3 yearly regardless of reported symptoms. I would keep the weekly exposure as management records and use that for trend data as I ask for it so that I can see the work trends before carrying out the health checks. It might be prudent to keep the information for up to 3 years incase of a claim...although it will be your health check data that would be more important in a claim...so you can decide it can be 6 months on site, 6 month archive and then destroy. If the information is summrised in an independant audit of the site (Evaluation of compliance for example) then you could go for less...
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 3 users thanked stevedm for this useful post.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Keep the records.
That way, if an employee develops some issues with his hands you can show that you have been controling vibration exposure at work.
Employees can develop havs outside work e.g. commuting every day by motor cycle, a 40 minute round trip will expose the rider to significant hand/arm vibration.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Yep, keep the records its your only defence, just scan them in.
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1 user thanked Bigmac1 for this useful post.
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Rank: New forum user
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Thanks for replies lots of good thoughts to consider. We employ over 8000 personnel on our site and can have 1-2 hundred personnel using HAVS toolings in any one week, so not that practical to keep that many individual records. We will be monitoring and keeping records of anyone who goes over the second threshold point as well as trending high risk users with data gathered from dynamic sampling. We do have a policy in place to manage HAVS exposure and we undertake a minimum of quarterly process confirmation audits to measure adherence and effectiveness of this policy
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Rank: Forum user 
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While we're on the subject of HAV; the HSE Guidance document L140 (revised) is now available.
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