Around 2 million UK workers are at risk of developing hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS), carpal tunnel syndrome or ‘vibration white finger’ from exposure to vibration from power tools.
Ideagen Wearable Safety (formerly Reactec) is a leader in providing solutions to combat noise and vibration in the workplace. It worked with CoreRFID to create the HAVmeter, a HAVS exposure monitoring device that tracks workers’ vibration exposure and reduces the risk of industrial disease. The project involved overcoming the problems of deploying RFID in environments that challenged reception and transmission because of vibration, magnetic fields, electrical interference, moisture and temperature changes.
“The design and supply service provided by CoreRFID has helped to ensure the success of the HAVmeter system, in spite of the demanding environments this technology is being used in.”– Tim Kent, Commercial Director, Reactec
HAVS exposure monitoring helps workers reduce risk
Vibration from power tools can cause irreversible damage to nerves, blood vessels, muscles and bones but its effects are preventable. Employers are obliged to ensure that workers are not exposed to limits greater than those laid down in the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 monitored by the HSE.
The HAVmeter system uses tags attached to tools, which carry data about the make and model, a unique tool number and an average tool vibration value. Each day, workers collect a HAVmeter, a portable device, signing it out with a personal swipe card that carries details of their allowed levels of vibration.
The HAVmeter is attached magnetically to any tool they use. Tool tags are coded red, yellow or green to give a visual warning of the vibration caused by a particular tool. The HAVmeter records workers’ vibration exposure by collecting data from the tool tags, storing details of tools used and the time that the tool was operated for. It displays their total vibration dosage, helping workers to manage their own exposure.
The HAVmeter detects the actual levels of vibration experienced with its on-board accelerometers. At the end of the day the HAVmeter is returned to its docking station to be recharged. The data is uploaded and analysed by software to show the vibration experienced by each operator, converting the time the tool was used for and the vibration level into a points score using the HSE system.
Custom tags overcome reception problems
The Havmeter tags developed for Reactec attach magnetically.The software can flag if a particular tool is emitting higher vibration levels than expected, pointing to a need for maintenance. It can also show how long tools are run for, highlighting where working practices or staff training need to change.
CoreRFID worked closely with Reactec on the design and development of the system. This involved developing a custom tag with a larger than standard antenna, to cope with the transmission and reception problems that arise when the HAVmeter is magnetically attached to a tag on a vibrating, electrical tool. CoreRFID sourced and arranged production of the custom tag, ready for embedding in the HAVmeter housing.
CoreRFID also created the software that writes data to the tags, saving space given the tags’ limited data capacity, and supplied all the hardware components needed for the RFID tags used in the HAVmeter system.
Reactec selected CoreRFID as its technology partner because of its ability to meet price targets for the tool tags, its record in successful RFID implementations, and its ability to provide a custom solution for the HAVmeter’s demanding operational environment.
Ideagen Wearable Safety has since brought in new tags to keep pace with advancing technology, and CoreRFID continues to support the HAVmeter’s tagging requirements as the product develops.