UK vibration firm Reactec has celebrated a new business landmark by ensuring 15,000 workers across the country are covered by its HAVmeter safety devices.

The firm hit the milestone sales figure this month, which means that thousands of workers in the UK construction, manufacturing, grounds maintenance and hire sectors are now using the technology in order to improve safety and monitor their exposure to vibration-related injuries.

The landmark figure has cemented the fact that the HAVmeter system is now viewed as the industry standard for maintaining vibration safety in the workplace and is used by some of the biggest companies in the UK – including Balfour Beatty, Aston Martin, The Crown Estate, Everton FC and all the UK’s leading hire companies.

By using HAVmeter technology, workers who regularly use power tools and other vibrating equipment are able to accurately monitor their exposure to vibration in order to limit the chance of them contracting crippling injuries such as Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS).

Jim O’Hagan, managing director at Reactec, said: “The fact that there are now 15,000 workers across the UK covered by HAVmeters is a great success for us. It’s a clear sign that more people are relying on our technology than ever before in order to monitor their exposure to vibration and, ultimately, limit the dangers of working with vibrating equipment.

“Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome, or HAVS, is one of the biggest issues facing any industry that relies on the use of vibrating power tools. It’s a crippling, incurable injury that deteriorates the blood flow to the hands and fingers and can leave sufferers in agony and unable to do the simplest of tasks.

“The only way to deal with HAVS is through prevention and the HSE has strict guidelines in place for acceptable vibration levels in the workplace in order to counter the problem. Employers who fail to adhere to these limits can face big fines and are also liable for compensation claims from staff who contract vibration injuries.

“While there are some companies who still rely on inaccurate timesheets to try and estimate vibration exposure among their staff, the majority of firms are realising that they need a better, and more accurate, monitoring system in place. Many of the biggest construction and manufacturing firms have already invested in the technology and more are introducing HAVmeters into their health and safety commitments every month.

“With 15,000 workers now covered by HAVmeters, our system is clearly the best and most trusted method of maintaining vibration safety in the workplace.”

The sales landmark comes after Reactec secured a number of recent high profile deals for its HAVmeter system across the construction, ground maintenance and manufacturing sectors - including the Crown Estate and Tubelines.

The firm also agreed a deal this summer with Everton Football Club, which has become the first Premiership club to use the HAVmeter system to improve safety among ground staff and maintenance teams.

Richard Cairns, health & safety manager at Everton Football Club, said: “In the past we relied on timesheets and individual record-keeping to monitor vibration exposure, but the HAVmeter system is a far superior method of doing this. All of the information is collated by the devices and provides us with a comprehensive overview of how much exposure each member of staff is subjected to. If they reach the safe limit stipulated by the HSE, then they are alerted to the danger at once – meaning there is no chance of over-exposure.

“However, it is not just a good tool for preventing injuries. The system allows us to generate reports about the vibration levels of our equipment, so we can identify which machines need to be replaced or upgraded. It’s a very versatile piece of kit that will continue to be hugely beneficial to our groundskeeping operations in the future.”

Under the HAVmeter system, every employee is provided with a HAVmeter device that is programmed with their individual vibration exposure limits, which they attach to every tool that they use during their shift. The meters collate data about the amount of vibration that workers are exposed to and flash a warning when the limits are reached.

The data can also be downloaded using Toolminder software to create full, comprehensive and accurate set of reports on vibration exposure for health & safety managers to use for every employee’s healthcare plan.

More information about HAVmeters can be be found at the website: http://www.reactec.com/havmeter/