Measuring tool vibration risk
15/08/2022
Sixis Technology, located in Derby, UK, has developed a new device for measuring tool vibration risk that attaches to the tool rather than the arm or wrist of the user.
Sixis, part of the Simpatica Group, claims that attaching the monitoring device to the tool provides a more accurate reading.
The risk of hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) and whole-body vibration (WBV) are by now well known by most employers of people expected to use vibrating power tools for long periods. HAVS meters are a new family of devices that warn tool users that they have been exposed to vibrations and the risk of HAVS for long enough and should take a break from the tool.
Havspro, designed, developed and manufactured in-house in the UK, is described by the manufacturer as ‘a game changer’ in the field, providing consistent accuracy whatever the tool, whatever the job, by measuring the vibration on the tool itself.
As with other devices, employees receive alerts into their exposure action value and exposure limit value to keep them protected and data is gathered and collated on a cloud-based reporting platform.
What makes Havspro different is that measuring vibration at the point source, on the tool, provides a real-time vibration level that is 100% accurate and not based on vibration ranges or values that are preprogrammed. Havspro measures actual vibration levels using a triaxial system mounted on the vibrating surface within 100 mm of the holding point.
Each operator is allocated their own sensor, programmed to that individual and their specific values. Each tool has a holster bonded onto the tool in line with BS 5349 and BS 8041. The operator picks their own personal tool, clicks their sensor onto the holster and gets to work. Their points are then sent to the cloud-based reporting platform.
