Health & Safety Quality Manual

Health & Safety Quality Manual

Contents
1 Purpose................................................................................................................................................3
2 Requirements......................................................................................................................................4
I. Risk Management...........................................................................................................................4
II. Permit to work..............................................................................................................................11
III. Manual Handling.......................................................................................................................14
IV. Occupational Noise...................................................................................................................19
V. Vibration.......................................................................................................................................32
1. What is hand-arm vibration?............................................................................................................33
1.1 What are the health effects of exposure to hand-arm vibration?...............................................33
2. What is whole-body vibration?........................................................................................................33
2.1 What are the health effects of exposure to WBV?.......................................................................34
2.2 How can WBV risks be managed?.................................................................................................34
2.2.1 Find out what could cause harm...............................................................................................34
2.2.2 Assess the risks..........................................................................................................................35
2.2.3 Take action to control the risk..................................................................................................35
2.2.4 Information, instruction and training.......................................................................................36
2.2.5 Check your control measures regularly to make sure they are working as planned...............37
2.2.6 Choosing the right plant............................................................................................................37
2.2.7 Suspension seats.......................................................................................................................37
2.2.8 Maintenance.............................................................................................................................37
2.2.9 Is it necessary to measure WBV?..............................................................................................38
3. References.........................................................................................................................................38

1 Purpose
The purpose of this manual is to standardize the requirements for the management of health & safety
by introducing the technical guide for implementation. This manual was can be used by the construction
contractors to ensure technical requirements and specifications are understood by the responsible
teams and are implemented so PWA projects are constructed safely and in compliance with the
applicable legal requirements, international standards and best practices.
Another purpose of this manual is to assist the supervision consultants in the implementation of the
health & safety requirements established through this manual during all the construction phases of a
road project, including the handing-over process to ensure that health and safety requirements are
satisfied and associated risks are minimized. Another purpose of this manual is to establish audit criteria
to guide the engineers, consultants and contractors.
Furthermore, to provide an effective and efficient basis for the approval process by the engineer.

2 Requirements
This section establishes the health & safety requirements for the PWA projects.
I. Risk Management
The management of risk is integral to the business process of all levels. All contractors have a duty of
care to protect the health & safety while carrying out business activities, of workers, engineers,
supervisors, visitors and any other person(s) who may be affected due to their activities.
a) Responsibilities
The contractor shall be responsible for:
 Identifying hazard as far as reasonably foreseeable.

 Controlling the risks as far as reasonably practicable.
The process owners shall be responsible for conducting and approving risk assessments and job hazard
analysis.
Health & safety personnel shall be responsible for advising the management, reviewing the risk
assessment and ensuring the development of adequate training and awareness of the relevant activity.
Line supervisors shall be responsible for the direct supervision of the activity and the provision of
information about the related potential hazards to the workers involved, before the commencement of
the activity.
All workers shall follow the instructions and cooperate with the supervisors and management.
b) Risk Management Process
Risk management is a proactive process that helps in responding to change and facilitate continuous
improvement which involves the following steps:
a. Hazard Identification – find out what could cause harm.

b. Risk assessment – understand the nature of the harm that could be caused by the hazard, how
serious the harm could be and the likelihood of its happening.
c. Control risks – implement the most effective control measure that is reasonably practicable in
such circumstances.
d. Review control measures – to ensure they are working as planned.

c) Hazard Identification
Identifying hazards in the workplace involve identifying possible hazards or hazardous situations that
could potentially cause harm to people. Hazards generally arise from the following aspects of work and
their interaction:
- Physical work environment

- Equipment, materials and substances used
- Work tasks and how they are performed
- Work design and management
- People carrying out the activity
To identify hazards the following are recommended:
Past incidents are examined to see what happened and whether the incident could occur again.
Employees are consulted to find out what they consider are safety issues, i.e. ask workers about hazards
near misses they have encountered as part of their work. Sometimes a survey or questionnaire can
assist workers to provide information about workplace hazards.
Work areas or work sites be inspected or examined to find out what is happening now. Identified
hazards shall be documented to allow further action. The work environment, tool and equipment as well
as tasks and procedures shall be examined for HSE risks.
Information about equipment (e.g. plant, operating instructions) and Material Safety Data Sheets is
reviewed to determine relevant precautions.
Welcome creative thinking about what could go wrong takes place, i.e. what hazardous event could take
place here?
d) Risk Assessment
A risk assessment involves considering what could happen if someone is exposed to a hazard
and the likelihood of it happening. A risk assessment can help in determining:
- How severe a risk is?

- Whether any existing control measures are effective.
- What action shall be taken to control the risk?
- How urgently the action needs to be taken?
 A risk assessment can be undertaken with varying degrees of details depending on the type of
hazards, information, data and resources that are available. It can be as simple as a discussion
with workers or involve specific risk analysis tools and techniques.
 The risk assessment shall include:
 Identifying factors that may be contributing to the risk.

 Reviewing health and safety information that is reasonably available from an authoritative
source and is relevant to the particular hazard.
 Evaluation of how severe the harm could be. This includes looking at the types of
injuries/illnesses/harm/damage that can result from the hazard, the number of people exposed,
possible chain effects from exposure to this hazard.
 Evaluation of how a hazard may cause harm. This includes examining how work is completed,
whether existing control measures are in place and whether they control the harm, looking at
infrequent/abnormal situations as well as standard operating situations. A chain of events
related to risk may need to be considered.
 Determining the likelihood of harm occurring. The level of risk will increase as the likelihood of
harm and its severity increases. The likelihood of harm occurring may be affected by how often
the task is completed, in what conditions, how many people are exposed to the hazard and for
what duration.
 Identify the actions necessary to eliminate or control the risk; and
 Identify records that it is necessary to ensure that the risks are eliminated or controlled.
 Other risk factors shall also be identified as they may contribute to the risk, including:
- The work premises and the working environment, including their layout and condition.
- The capability, skill, experience and age of people ordinarily undertaking work.
- The systems of work being used; and
- The range of reasonably foreseeable conditions.
 The process of assessing the risk is undertaken by reviewing any available information about the
hazard and by using personal work experience about what sort harm the hazard could create
and how likely this would be to happen. When determining how likely it is that a person could
be exposed to a hazard, consideration needs to be given to these “exposure factors”:
- Whether any other risk factors increase the likelihood of exposure?
- How often the person is exposed (frequency)?
- Or how long is the person exposed (duration)?
- How many people are exposed?
- The likely dose to which the person is exposed?
- Any legislative or recommended exposure levels required by regulatory authorities.

e) Risk Matrix
Is used during risk assessment to define the various levels of risk as potential of the harm probability
categories and harm severity categories. This is a simple mechanism to increase the visibility of risks and
assist management decision making.
Risk Matrix
Severity Likelihood
Unlikely Remote Possible Probable Very likely

1 2 3 4 5
(Probability (Probability (Probability (Probability (Probability
1%) 10%) 50%) 75%) 99%)
Minor - Minor Injury / No loss time / No internal

1 2 3 4 5
disruption / No downtime
Low - Injury which requires medical attention / 1-3 day

2 4 6 8 10
loss time / Minor internal disruption / 1 Day downtime
Medium - Potentially life threatening Injury causing

temporary disability (e.g. fractures) and/or requiring
Medevac / Potential long term absence / Disruption 3 6 9 12 15
possibly requiring outside help to manage / Downtime
between 1 and 7 days
High - Major life threatening injury or causing

permanent disability (e.g. loss of limb) / Incomplete
4 8 12 16 20
recovery / Pollution with significant impact / Very
serious business disruption / Up to 4 weeks downtime
Major - Fatality or multiple fatalities, or multiple life-

threatening injuries causing permanent disabilities /
5 10 15 20 25
catastrophic business impact and national/global
media interest / Over 1-month downtime
Details of Hazard Severity

Colour Risk Requirement
21 - 25 Major Unacceptable - Activity shall not proceed in the current form.
16- 20 High Area of Concern and ALARP - Activity shall be modified to include remedial planning and

action and be subject to detailed Assessment.
Area of Concern and ALARP - Activity can operate subject to management and/ or
11 – 15 Medium
modification.
6-10 Low Acceptable Risk – Monitoring and supervision is required.
1- 5 Minor Acceptable risk – activity can proceed under normal circumstances
Risk Type Personnel at risk Affected Downtime Reputation
Minor Minor Injury (e.g. First Aid) – No None None No internal disruption.
Loss Time
Low Injury / Minor health effects require Discipline 1 Day Minor internal disruption. Limited
treatment by a medically qualified community impact or interest. Reportable
person, effects are reversible - Short to Regulatory Authorities.
term absence from work, complete
recovery
Hazard Severity
Medium Potentially life-threatening injury Process(es) 1-7 Days The internal disruption that could require
causing temporary disability / Major outside help to manage. Community
health effect to an individual discussion, adverse local or financial
requiring Medical evacuation to publicity. Lawsuits are possible.
hospital. Potential long term
absence. (LTA)
High Major life-threatening injury or Project 4 Weeks Serious internal disruption adversely
Major health effects to several affecting ongoing business and requiring
persons. Long term absence with third party help to manage. Widespread
incomplete recovery / permanent interest, adverse shareholder and
disability reaction, lawsuits possible.
Major Fatality or multiple fatalities, Corporate >1 month Very serious business disruption and
multiple permanent disabling impact on Entity operations. National /
injuries from occupational illness or International media interest, adverse
injury. publicity and heavy selling pressure.
Litigation certain and potential for Director
Criminal Charges
Likelihood
Unlikely An incident which is not expected to occur under any normal circumstances and would only result from a
combination of extremely improbable factors. Probability of happening 1%
Remote An incident is not expected to occur under normal circumstances but may occur under exceptional
circumstances. Probability of happening 10%.
Possible An incident which has the possibility of occurring under normal circumstances. Probability of happening 50%
Probable An incident which is likely to occur at some point or regularly during normal circumstances and would require
no extraordinary factors for its occurrence. Probability of happening 75%
Very Likely An incident which is almost certainly going to occur during normal circumstances if conditions remain

unchanged. Probability of happening 99%
f) Risk Assessment Acceptance Criteria
The risk matrix above can be used to calculate acceptance criteria related to the potential for loss of life
per year. This is equated in the table below.
Potential for loss of life Acceptance Criteria

Tolerable ALARP
Potentially life-threatening injury Only if less Only if less frequent than 3 in a Between 5-7 in a year
frequent year
Life-threatening injury Only if less frequent than 5 in a Between 7-10 in a year

year
Single / Multiple fatalities Never generally acceptable Less frequent than 1 in 3

years
g) Controlling the risks
Risks shall be reduced to the lowest reasonably practicable level by taking preventative measures, in
order of priority. The table below sets out an ideal order to follow when planning to reduce risk from
construction activities. Consider the headings in the order shown, do not simply jump to the easiest
control measure to implement.
Health and Safety Risks shall be treated as per the following Hierarchy:
- Elimination: eliminate the risk by removing the hazards

- Substitution: Substitute with the less hazardous material/substance, suitable equipment,
improve process
- Engineering Control: Make structural changes to the work environment, work systems,
equipment. Use mechanical aids or manual handling devices. Enclose or isolate the hazard
through use of guards or remote handling techniques. Provide local exhaust ventilation etc.
- Administrative Control: appropriate administrative procedures such as policies, guidelines, work
permits, safety signage, job rotation, job timing, routine maintenance and housekeeping.
Training of personnel on the hazards and work procedures.
- Personal Protective Equipment: Provide correctly fitted and properly maintained personal
protective equipment (PPE) and training in its use.
It is not necessary to implement every measure. For example, in the case of a fully boarded and guarded
scaffold, workers would not be expected to wear personal fall-arrest equipment.
h) Review Control Measures

It is also the responsibility of the person performing the work and their direct report to evaluate the
effectiveness of the hazard control selected, and to make improvements where deficiencies are
identified. The person performing the work and their direct report will assess the effectiveness of
controls through regular inspections, testing and monitoring, evaluations of complaints or concerns
received and investigations into near misses or other incidents.
Common symptoms of ineffective controls include:
- Repeated Non-conformity. Non-conformity may be a consequence of lack of training or

consequence, or other problems in the control that cause persons to be reluctant to implement
them, such as the creation of another hazard.
- Failure to Reduce Risk. For example, testing may demonstrate that there has been no change in
the measured risk after the control has been implemented. In other cases, workers or others
may have a continued complaint.
- Near Miss/Injury. A near-miss, a risk, or incident causing harm is proof that the control
measures are ineffective in some way.
i) Competencies
The Contractor shall:
- Ensure the process owners and workers are suitably competent to carry out the process,
identify the hazards and assess the associated risk; where gaps are identified in the existing and
required competencies, the Entity shall ensure the provision of suitable training.
- Be responsible for developing adequate training to all employees participating in the risk
management, safe work procedures and hazard identification.
- Develop adequate training programs for employees to achieve the required competencies this
include but not limited to:
- The third-party specific training and certification (as/and to whom applicable).
- Internal relevant training.
j) References
- QCS 2014
- ISO 45001:2018
- How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks, Code of Practice (December 2011): Safe Work
Australia

II. Permit to work
The permit to work requirements applies to all the contractors.
a) Appointment of Permit to Work Receivers

- The contractor shall nominate minimum two (2) PTW receivers per trade / per shift or in a
sufficient number as per the agreement and approval by Safety Manager.
- The appointed PTW receivers should undergo mandatory PTW training. The acceptance of PTW
receivers is subject to successfully passing the training.
- When a Permit is required
- All contractors are required to follow the requirements of Permit to Work as detailed herein,
except for general cleaning, and minor maintenance activities, as authorized by the project
manager.
b) Types of permits
- As per the nature of works the following types of permits may be issued:
Hot work
Definition Examples
Hot Work where a source of ignition is present or - Welding, cutting, grinding
where non- intrinsically safe equipment is being - Use of Explosive devices
used and there is a risk of fire or explosion. - Any heat or spark-producing work
Confined Space
Definition Examples
Confined Space refers to any place, including any - Cleaning of underground tanks
vessel, tank, container, pit, bund, chamber, cellar - Working in the deep excavations
or any other similar space which, by virtue of its - Working in pipeline

enclosed nature, creates conditions that give rise
to a likelihood of an accident, harm or injury of
such a nature as to require emergency action due
to the presence or reasonable foreseeable
presence of:
- flammable or explosive atmospheres
- harmful gas, fume or vapor
- free flowing solid or an increasing level of liquid
- excess of oxygen
- excessively high temperature
- the lack or reasonably foreseeable lack of oxygen
Cold Work
General Work – Category 1
Definition Examples
Where work activities may not pose a significant - Visual inspection of various equipment, systems
hazard to contractor employees, visitors and or locations
property - Cleaning activities
General Work – Category 2

Definition Examples
- Work that could affect the safety of personnel, - Ground disturbance / Excavation / trenching
equipment, property - Isolation of plant and equipment
- Any work that does not include a source of - Working at heights
ignition - Electrical work
- Scaffolding (erection and dismantling)
- Pressure testing
- Removal/isolation or relocation of safety-
critical equipment
- Critical Lifting Operations
- Rope access
c) Duration of Permit to Work
The permit receiver shall fill the PTW form, identifying therein the intended start date and time and
finish date and time. A permit can only be issued for a shift except for works with the prior approval of
the consultant for a period up to 30 days, where permit conditions are not likely to change. However,
permit receivers are required to adhere to permit conditions at all time.
Contractor’s management or safety team may change the time and duration of the permit, at their
discretion in consideration of:
- The nature of works

- Other works being carried out at the same location
- Inconvenient timing of isolation of the area and or services etc.
- Or where more time is required to review the associated documentation

d) Documentation to be attached
The permit receiver shall attach the following documents while applying for a permit, except for cold
work Permit, category 1, as applicable, according to the nature of works for each permit and as per QCS
2014:
- Risk assessment and method statement

- Drawings and sketches, where applicable
- Rescue and emergency plans, where applicable
- Safety Data Sheet (SDS), if chemicals and other hazardous substance is used
- Competency certificates of the technical staff i.e. welders, mechanics, electricians, scaffold
erectors, operators etc., where applicable
- Safety certifications of plant and equipment e.g. lifting equipment, and other vehicles and
equipment, where applicable
- Any other documentation deemed necessary by the engineer or consultant.
Any requirements related to the isolation of hazardous energy. If such requirements are identified that
Contractor is required to attach the completed LOTO Form with the Permit. The start time and finish
time of LOTO may be different than the PTW duration.
e) Review of Permit
Upon receiving the permit to work safety team shall review the PTW and supporting documents e.g. risk
assessment and method statement etc.
After reviewing PTW requirements and supporting documents, safety team will either validate the PTW
or return it to the permit receiver, asking for clarifications or additional documentation, PTW receiver is
required to resubmit the permit after providing the requested information/documentation.
f) Execution of works under the permit conditions
The contractor shall keep the copy, risk assessment, method statement, and other supporting
documents, as applicable, on site for the engineer's review.
The contractor shall ensure that workers are daily briefed, before starting the works, on the work
method, related hazards, and requirements of this manual. Records of daily briefing shall be maintained
on-site.
g) Closure & Extension of permits
The contractor shall ensure if the work area is restored to pre-work conditions, and if the work has not
been completed, the worksite shall be left in a safe and secure condition. In case, the lockout/ Tag-out is
applied, it will be ensured that the Lockout/ Tag-out is released.
Once satisfied that the worksite is safe and secure, the contractor shall close the permit
If the contractor’ PTW receiver needs the extension of time, he may request an extension of time from
the issuer.

The safety team will review the request and may grant the extension.
Hot work and confined space entry permits cannot be extended under any circumstances.
All PTWs shall be considered revoked once an emergency is declared, and revalidation of permits shall
be required before the start of works.
h) Management of Change
The contractor shall inform and get approval before introducing any change in:
- workplace locations and surroundings

- work methods
- working conditions
- equipment
- workforce
i) Emergency works
If the nature of works requires an urgent remedial action the works may start without a permit e.g. in
case of a water leak and any such situations. However, a permit must be issued as soon as practicable.
All authorized emergency works must not violate the basic safety requirements.
III. Manual Handling
The aim of this section is to establish the requirements to protect workers against musculoskeletal
disorders caused by manual handling and to:
- Prevent the occurrence of injury and/or reduce the severity of injuries resulting from manual
handling tasks in workplaces.
- Requires contractors to identify, assess and control risks arising from manual handling activities
in workplaces.
- Most of the jobs require some degree of manual handling. All manual handling jobs are not
hazardous, however, in order to determine, if a manual handling job is hazardous or not,
Contractors shall carry out risk assessment.
a) Hazardous Manual Task
A hazardous manual task means a task that requires a person to lift, lower, push, pull, carry or otherwise
move, hold or restrain any person, animal or thing involving one or more of the following:
- Repetitive or sustained force

- High or sudden force
- Repetitive movement
- Sustained or awkward posture
- Exposure to vibration
These factors (known as characteristics of a hazardous manual task) directly stress the body and
can lead to injury.

Position Description
1 Preparation The first step in any lifting operation is preparation. Plan how to carry out
the lift and clear away any obstacles. By visualizing the lift, you will
automatically make your stomach muscles contract. These muscles brace
your back and will significantly contribute to injury prevention.
2 Assess the load This includes the shape, size, content weight, etc.
3 Bend the knees and keep - Keep your back as near to straight as possible; raise your head, keeping
your back straight your chin in. This will keep your spine straight and enable you to see
where you are going.
- Keep your shoulders level and facing the same direction as your hips.
4 Hold the load - Ensure proper grip on the load to prevent the load from slipping.
- Place the feet apart giving a stable base for lifting.
5 Kept your back straight Keep your back straight after the lift to prevent any back injuries.
6 Slowly lift Slowly lift by straightening your hips and knees and not your back.
7 Keep the load close to the Keeping the load close to the body reduces the strain on the arms.
body
8 Keep your eye on the Looking at the direction of travel to ensure the path is clear.
direction of travel
b) Identifying Hazardous Manual Tasks
The first step in managing risks from carrying out manual tasks is to identify those tasks that have the
potential to cause musculoskeletal disorders.
Hazards that arise from manual tasks generally involve interaction between a worker and:
- The work tasks and how they are performed

- The tools, equipment and objects handled
- The physical work environment
c) Assessing the Risks
A risk assessment involves examining the characteristics of the hazardous manual task in more detail to
assess whether the forces, movements and postures are undertaken in such a way that they give rise to
the risk of musculoskeletal disorders.
d) Carrying out Risk Assessment
A risk assessment shall be carried out for any manual tasks that has been identified as being hazardous,
unless the risk is well-known and control measures are known as well. A risk assessment can help to
determine:
- Which postures, movements and forces of the task pose a risk?

- Where during the task they pose a risk?
- Why they are occurring?
- What needs to be fixed?

e) Risk Assessment for Hazardous Manual Tasks
Workers involved in manual handling tasks shall be consulted during the course of risk assessment.
Describe the task and area where the manual task is performed. Note which body parts are likely to be
at risk of injury, then work through the assessment together to determine which risk factors pose a risk
and why the risk exists.
Sr. Factors Considerations

1 Task Does the manual handling task involves the following:
- Twisting
- Stooping
- Bending
- Pushing
- Pulling
- Positioning the load
- Sudden movement
- Not enough rest or recovery period
- Team handling
- Seated work
- Duration- generally 2 hours over a shift or 30 minutes at a time.
2 Individual - Personal Physique
Example:
(i) Too short
(ii) Too tall
(iii) Disable
- Age
Example:
(i) Too young
(ii) Too old
- Health condition
Example:
(i) Suffering from health problems
3 Load Is the load:
- Heavy

- Difficult to grip
- Sharp
- Hot
- Cold
- Content likely to move
- Where the load has to be moved by a woman, the weight shall be reduced
by approximately 30%.
The size:
- The size and shape of a load may be as significant as its weight in
determining whether assistance is required. Large awkward loads, which
require the arms to be extended in front of the body, place more strain on
the back and abdomen than compact objects carried close to the body.
- Not all loads need to be carried, of course. It may be easiest to roll or push
them, depending on the contents. Even so, assistance might still be required
to avoid the risk of injury.
The section does not specify safe weights because capability is so variable. No
single person shall be required to lift, lower or carry loads over 25kg. This limit
would only apply when the load is within the individual’s capabilities and when
no other risk factors are present e.g. bending
4 Environment - Within the environment is/are there:
- Space constraints
- Uneven flooring
- Slippery flooring
- Unstable flooring
- Difference in floor levels
- Conditions – hot, cold or humid
- Illumination/Lighting
- Housekeeping
5 Other - Is movement or posture hindered by clothing or personal protective
Factors equipment?
- Is there an absence of correct/suitable PPE being worn?
f) Controlling the Risks
Once the risk factors and sources of risk are known, then it is possible to determine the controls and
methods required to manage these risks. This can be done by following the Hierarchy of control:
Hierarchy of Examples of control measures

control
Elimination  Automate the manual task (such as using remote controls)

 Deliver goods directly to the point of use to eliminate multiple handling
Substitution  Replace heavy items with those that are lighter, smaller and/or easier to handle
 Replace hand tools with power tools to reduce the level of force required to do the
task
Isolation  Isolate vibrating machinery from the user, for example by providing fully
independent seating on mobile plant
Engineering  Use mechanical lifting aids
 Provide workstations that are height adjustable
 Use Lifting equation - is a tool used to assess the manual material handling risks
associated with lifting and lowering tasks in the workplace. This equation considers
job task variables to determine safe lifting practices and guidelines.
- This involves computation to obtain maximum acceptable weight that a healthy

individual could lift over the course of a shift.
- It also provides a relative estimate level of physical stress and musculoskeletal

disorder risk, associated with manual handling task being evaluated.
Administrative  Rotate workers between different tasks
 Train workers to use control measures implemented when carrying out manual tasks
Personal  Heat resistant gloves for handling hot items
protective
 Shock absorbent shoes for work on hard concrete floors
equipment
g) Implementing Control Measures
Risk control may initially involve using short term, interim measures while a long term solution is
developed. For example, temporarily raise the bench until it can be replaced or altered permanently, or
rotate employees through a production line to reduce the time spent working at a low bench until it can
be changed.
To implement the most effective risk controls, ensure the following:
- Allow workers to try solutions before decisions are made to make the solution permanent.
- Review controls after an initial testing period, as they may need modification.
- Develop work procedures to ensure that controls are understood and responsibilities are clear.
- Communicate the reasons for the change to workers and others.
- Provide training to ensure workers can implement the risk controls for the task competently.
- Ensure that any equipment used in the manual task is properly maintained.

Do not make final decisions on the effectiveness of the control measures that have implemented until
enough time has passed for the workers to adjust to the changes. Workers shall be given a chance to
practice using the new workstation, tool, mechanical device or new work method. Some modifications
may require workers to use new muscle groups or different parts of the body and they may initially feel
some discomfort. At this stage, conduct frequent checks with workers on how they feel and if the
improvements are working.
h) Reviewing Control Measures
Control measures that have been implemented must be reviewed and, if necessary, revised to make
sure they work as planned and to maintain a work environment that is without risks to health and
safety.
Control measures may be reviewed using the same methods as the initial hazard identification step.
Consult the workers involved in the manual task and their health and safety representatives and
consider the following:
- Are the control measures working effectively in both their design and operation, without creating
new risks?
- Are workers actively involved in the risk management process? Are they openly raising health and
safety concerns and reporting problems promptly?
- Have new work methods or new equipment reduced physical strain or difficulty?
- Has instruction and training on hazardous manual tasks and the implemented control measures
been successful?
- Is the frequency and severity of musculoskeletal disorder reducing over time?
- Is an alteration planned to any structure, plant or process that is likely to result in a worker being
exposed to a hazardous manual task?
- Has an incident occurred as a result of a worker being exposed to a hazardous manual task?
- If new information becomes available, does it indicate current controls may no longer be the most
effective?
If problems are found, go back through the risk management steps, review information and make
further decisions about risk control.
i) References
- QCS 2014
- ISO 45001:2018
- Hazardous Manual Tasks, Code of Practice (February 2016): Safe Work Australia
IV. Occupational Noise
This section outline requirements for the Contractors to prevent ill health caused by occupational noise.
Hazardous noise can destroy the ability to hear clearly and can also make it more difficult to hear sounds
necessary for working safely, such as instructions or warning signals. Managing the risks related to noise
aims to:

- Protect workers from hearing loss and disabling tinnitus (ringing in the ears or head)
- Improve the conditions for communication and hearing warning sounds
- Create a less stressful and more productive work environment.
a) How does hearing loss occur?
Hazardous noise affects the functioning of the inner ear, which may cause temporary hearing loss. After
a period of time away from noise, hearing may be restored. With further exposure to hazardous noise,
the ear will gradually lose its ability to recover and the hearing loss will become permanent.
Permanent hearing loss can also occur suddenly if a person is exposed to very loud impact or explosive
sounds. This type of damage is known as acoustic trauma.
Permanent hearing loss results from the destruction of hair cells in the inner ear. These cells cannot be
replaced or repaired by any presently known medical treatments or technology.
Usually, hazardous noise first affects the ability to hear high-frequency (high-pitched) sounds. This
means that even though a person can still hear some sounds, conversation will start to sound ‘muffled’
and a person may find it difficult to understand what is being said.
Communication difficulties occur especially when there are competing background noises. Modern
hearing aids may improve the ability to hear speech but they are unable to completely restore the clarity
of the full hearing function.
Workers exposed to hazardous noise may also experience tinnitus, which could become permanent.
When severe, it may disrupt sleep, reduce concentration, make people extremely irritable and lead to
depression.
The degree of hearing loss that occurs is dependent on how loud the noise is, how long someone is
exposed to it and, to some extent, individual susceptibility. The frequency or pitch can also have some
effect on hearing loss, since high-pitched sounds are more damaging than low-pitched ones.
Exposure to a number of common industrial chemicals and some medications can also cause hearing
loss or exacerbate the effects of noise on hearing. These substances are called ototoxic substances.
Ototoxic substances absorbed into the bloodstream may damage the cochlea in the inner ear and/or the
auditory pathways to the brain, leading to hearing loss and tinnitus. Hearing loss is more likely if
exposure is to a combination of substances or a combination of the substance and noise.
There is also some evidence that exposure to hand transmitted vibrations can exacerbate the effects of
noise on hearing.
b) How much noise is too much?
Whether the exposure standard of 85 dB(A) averaged over eight hours is exceeded depends on the level
of noise involved and how long workers are exposed to it.

Peak noise levels greater than 140 dB(C) usually occur with impact or explosive noise such as sledge-
hammering or a gun shot. Any exposure above this peak can create almost instant damage to hearing.
Decibels are not like normal numbers. They can’t be added or subtracted in the normal way. The decibel
scale is logarithmic. On this scale, an increase of 3 dB therefore represents a doubling or twice as much
sound energy. This means that the length of time a worker could be exposed to the noise is reduced by
half for every 3 dB increase in noise level if the same noise energy is to be received.
Table 1 below demonstrates the length of time a person without hearing protectors can be exposed
before the standard is exceeded.
Table 1 Equivalent noise exposures
LAeq,8h = 85 dB(A)
Noise Level dB(A) Exposure Time
The adjustment 80 16 hours (1) factor for
extended work 82 12 hours (1) shifts shown
in Table 3 is taken 85 8 hours into account.
88 4 hours
Essentially, a 91 2 hours worker who
94 1 hour
is exposed to 85 dB(A) for 8
97 30 minutes
hours receives the same noise
100 15 minutes
energy as someone 103 7.5 seconds exposed to
88 dB(A) for 4 106 3.8 seconds hours, with
the balance of the 109 1.9 seconds day in a very
quiet environment. 112 57 seconds In both cases
the exposure 115 28.8 seconds standard is
not being 118 14.4 seconds exceeded.
However, being 121 7.2 seconds exposed to
124 3.6 seconds
88 dB(A) for more than 4 hours
127 1.8 seconds
would mean that the standard
130 0.9 seconds
is exceeded. Similarly, if a

worker is using a machine that generates 121 dB(A) then the exposure standard would be exceeded
after only 7.2 seconds.
There is a big range in different people’s susceptibility to hearing loss from noise. Research shows that 8-
hour average daily noise exposure levels below 75 dB(A) or instantaneous peak noise levels below 130
dB(C) are unlikely to cause hearing loss. With progressively increasing levels, the risk becomes greater.
The exposure standard for noise at an LAeq,8h of 85 dB(A) and a peak noise level at 140 dB(C), which
protects most but not all people. Therefore, workplace noise should be kept lower than the exposure
standard for noise if reasonably practicable.
c) Other effects of noise
Noise at levels that do not damage hearing can have other adverse health effects. This can arise when
noise chronically interferes with concentration and communication. Persistent noise stress can increase
the risk of fatigue and cardiovascular disorders including high blood pressure and heart disease.
Although safe levels to guard against these effects have not yet been fully determined, as a guide, the
risk of adverse health effects can be minimized by keeping noise levels below:
- 50 dB(A) where work is being carried out that requires high concentration or effortless
conversation
- 70 dB(A) where more routine work is being carried out that requires speed or attentiveness or
where it is important to carry on conversations
These levels include the noise from other work being carried out within the workplace.
To work safely, workers must be able to hear warning signals above any other noise (ambient noise) at
the workplace. For reversing alarms on mobile plant, the guidance in ISO:9533: 2010 Earth-moving
machinery – Machine-mounted audible travel alarms and forward horns – Test methods and
performance criteria should be followed. This requires the noise level of the alarm at potential reception
points to be at least as high as the noise from the engine under high idle.
For other situations, the levels needed are higher – at least 65 dB(A) and more than 15 dB(A) greater
than the ambient noise level at any position in the signal reception area. More detailed guidance on
assessing the audibility of warning signals can be found in ISO 7731:2003 Ergonomics – Danger signals
for public and work areas – Auditory danger signals.
d) How to identify noise hazards
The potential for noise to be hazardous is not always obvious. Hazard identification is a way of finding
out which work activities have the potential to contribute to hearing loss or other harm caused by noise.

Exposure to noise is cumulative and a worker may perform a number of noisy work activities over time
which, in combination, may expose the worker to hazardous noise.
e) How to find noise hazards
One may not need specialist skills to identify sources of hazardous noise, but you must undertake the
process in consultation with your workers and their health and safety representatives. As a guide, if you
need to raise your voice to communicate with someone about one meter away, the noise is likely to be
hazardous to hearing.
i. Inspect the workplace

Regularly walking around the workplace, talking to workers and observing how things are done can help
you identify noise hazards. Find out where noise is coming from and which tasks or processes produce
noise. Take immediate action to control noise where this is possible, for example fix loose panels that
are vibrating and rattling during machine operation.
ii. Review available information

Information regarding noise levels from the manufacturers or suppliers of plant and equipment used at
the workplace should be obtained.
Information and advice about hazards and risks relevant to particular industries and work activities is
also available from regulators, industry associations, unions, technical specialists and safety consultants.
You should check whether any workers’ compensation claims have been made for hearing loss and if
any hearing loss or tinnitus has been found during repeat audiometric testing. If a worker’s hearing has
been affected and has been attributed to a particular task, then a hazard may exist that could affect
other workers.
Table 2 below lists common noise sources and their typical sound levels which can be used to compare
whether noise in the workplace sounds as loud as or louder than 85 dB(A).
Table 2 Common noise sources and their typical sound levels
Typical sound level in dB Sound source

140 Jet engine at 30m
Rivet hammer (pain can be felt at this
130
threshold)
120 Rock drill
110 Chain saw
100 Sheet-metal workshop
90 Lawn-mower

85 Front-end loader
Kerbside Heavy traffic
80
Lathe
70 Loud conversation
60 Normal conversation
40 Quiet radio music
30 Whispering
0 Hearing threshold
iii. What happens next?

Make a list of all noisy activities that may pose a risk to the health and safety of persons at the
workplace. If you are unsure about the level of exposure or how to eliminate or minimize the risks
effectively, you should take the next step to assess the risks of hearing loss.
f) How to Assess the Risks

i. When should a risk assessment be conducted?
If you have identified any noisy activities that may expose your workers or other people at your
workplace to hazardous noise then, unless you can reduce the exposures to below the standard
immediately, you should assess the risks by carrying out a noise assessment.
A noise assessment will help you:
- Identify which workers are at risk of hearing loss
- Determine what noise sources and processes are causing that risk
- Identify if and what kind of noise control measures could be implemented
- Check the effectiveness of existing control measures.
A noise assessment may not always need measurement. For example, if only one activity at the
workplace – the use of a single machine – involves noise above 85 dB(A) and the manufacturer has
provided information about the machine’s noise levels when it is operated in particular ways, then a
sufficient assessment can be made without measurement. More complex situations may require
measurement to accurately determine a worker’s exposure to noise, such as workplaces with variable
noise levels over a shift and jobs where workers move in and out of noisy areas.
ii. How a noise assessment is done?
The way a noise assessment is done will depend upon:

- The type of workplace
- The number of persons potentially at risk from exposure to hazardous noise
- The information already available on noise at the workplace.
A noise assessment should be done during a typical working shift and should determine:
- The noise levels produced during various tasks carried out during the shift
- How long your workers are exposed to noise during each of these tasks.

An assessment should take into account:
- Plant, equipment and other sources of noise in operation at the workplace
- How work activities are carried out
- The length of the shift
- Environmental factors (e.g. Types of walls, surfaces, layout of work stations).
This means that adequate information about the tasks and their frequency is needed, so consultation
with workers and their supervisors is essential.
Noise measurements should be taken at 0.1 to 0.2 meters from the worker’s ear canal entrance over a
period of time that is representative of the noise produced during the tasks.
In most situations the use of a hand-held integrating sound level meter will produce the most useful
information for choosing appropriate noise control measures. In situations where workers are highly
mobile or access for the person taking the measurement is difficult or unsafe, it may be more
appropriate to use personal sound exposure meters (dose meters).
Noise measurements should include the combined noise levels of all the tools, machines and processes
present as well as the background noise from ventilation systems, cooling compressors, circulation
pumps, etc. To identify which noise sources contribute most to workers’ exposures, the noise from each
source or work activity should also be measured separately.
If a group of workers is exposed to identical sources of noise and their exposure is likely to be the same,
then you do not need a separate assessment for each worker. A representative assessment can be done
for one or more of the workers.
The noise assessment shall be done by a competent third party.
iii. Extended work shifts
Shift durations of 10 hours or longer involve a degree of risk greater than that indicated by the 8 hour
measurement LAeq,8h. This increase in risk arises because of the additional damaging effect of
continuous exposure to noise after 10 hours. The risk may be further increased if there is reduced
recovery time between successive shifts.
If workers work shifts of 10 hours or more, the adjustment factor for extended shifts as set out in
AS/NZS 1269.1 (see Table 3) should be added to the measured LAeq,8h before comparing it with the 85
dB(A) exposure standard for noise.
Table 3 Adjustments to LAeq,8h for extended work shifts

Shift length Adjustment added to measured
LAeq,8h dB(A)
10 hrs or more to less than 14 hrs +1
14 hrs or more to less than 20 hrs +2
20 hrs or more +3
- For example, if a worker works 12-hour shifts and the typical LAeq,8h has been determined to
be 93 dB(A), an additional one decibel is added to give an adjusted LAeq,8h of 94 dB(A). Hence
the worker‘s LAeq,8h exceeds the exposure standard for noise by 9 dB(A).
- If workers work more than five days per week, the weekly averaging procedure of AS/NZS
1269.1 should be used.
g) How to Control the Risks
The most important step in the risk management process involves eliminating the risks, or if that is not
reasonably practicable, minimizing the risks so far as is reasonably practicable.
i. The hierarchy of risk control
Process owners/contractors to work through a hierarchy of control to choose the control measure that
most effectively eliminates or minimizes the risk in the circumstances. The hierarchy ranks the ways of
controlling the risk of hearing loss from noise from the highest level of protection and reliability to the
lowest so that the most effective controls are considered first.
Effective risk control may involve a single control measure or a combination of two or more different
controls.
ii. Eliminate the risk
The most effective control measure is to eliminate the source of noise completely, for example by
ceasing to use a noisy machine, changing the way work is carried out so hazardous noise is not produced
or by not introducing the hazard into the workplace.
iii. Minimize the risk
If it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate the source of noise, you must minimize the risk associated
with hearing loss so far as is reasonably practicable. This includes ensuring that the noise does not
exceed the exposure standard by choosing one or more of the following measures:
- Substitute the hazard with plant or processes that are quieter

- Modify plant and processes to reduce the noise using engineering controls
- Isolate the source of noise from people by using distance, barriers, enclosures and sound-
absorbing surfaces.
If there is a remaining risk, it must be minimized so far as is reasonably practicable by implementing
administrative controls, and if a risk still remains, then suitable personal protective equipment must be

provided and used. These two types of control measures, when used on their own, tend to be least
effective in minimizing risks because they rely on human behavior and supervision.
iv. Substituting plant or processes to reduce noise
 One of the most cost-effective and long-term ways of reducing noise at work is to introduce a
purchasing and hiring policy to choose the quietest plant for the job. This can be done by obtaining
information on noise emission (for example, data on sound power level or sound pressure level at
the operator position) from the manufacturer, importer or supplier of plant and comparing it to
determine the quietest plant. Ask the suppliers about the likely noise emission under the particular
conditions in which you will operate the machinery, as well as under standard test conditions. If you
ask the same question to all suppliers you can compare information. Sound power level data will
only ever be a guide as many factors affect the actual noise levels experienced by your workers, but
it will help you buy quieter machines. You should purchase or hire only from suppliers who can
demonstrate a low noise design, with noise control as a standard part of the machine, not as an
optional extra.
 A different way of doing the job may provide the same result with a lot less noise. For example,
bending metal in a vice or a press is quieter than hammering it into shape, welding is generally
quieter than riveting, gluing is quieter than hammering in nails, clipping is quieter than stapling, and
lowering materials in a controlled manner is quieter than dropping them on hard surfaces.
v. Using engineering controls
A good understanding of the operation of the plant or process is necessary when considering ways of
minimizing noise at its source.
Examples of engineering control measures include:

- Eliminating impacts between hard objects or surfaces
- Minimizing the drop height of objects or the angle that they fall onto hard surfaces
- Using absorbent lining on surfaces to cushion the fall or impact of objects
- Fitting exhaust mufflers on internal combustion engines
- Fitting silencers to compressed air exhausts and blowing nozzles
- Isolating a vibrating noise source to separate it from the surface on which it is mounted using
rubber mounts and flexible connections
- Ensuring gears mesh together better
- Fixing damping materials (such as rubber) or stiffening to panels to reduce vibration
- Fitting sound-absorbing materials to hard reflective surfaces
- Turning down volume controls
- Changing fan speeds or the speeds of particular components
- Changing the material the equipment or its parts are made of (change metal components to
plastic components).
vi. Isolating the source of noise
Examples of isolating the source of noise from workers include:

- Building enclosures or sound proof covers around noise sources
- Using barriers or screens to block the direct path of sound
- Locating noise sources further away from workers (see figure 1)
- Using remote controls to operate noisy plant from a distance.
Figure 1 Sound spreading in an open space away from reflecting surfaces and measured at a certain
distance from the source is reduced by about 6 dB for each doubling of that distance. Sound is reduced
less when spreading inside an enclosed space.
If a small sound source produces a sound level of 90 dB(A) at a distance of 1 meter, the sound level at 2
meters distance is 84 dB(A), and at 4 meters is 78 dB(A), etc.
h) Maintenance
Regular maintenance of plant and equipment is essential as it will deteriorate with age and can become
noisier. Check for changes in noise levels – badly worn bearings and gears, poor lubrication, blunt
blades, loose parts, unbalanced rotating parts and steam or air leaks all create noise that can be reduced
with good maintenance. Engineering controls such as vibration mountings, impact absorbers, gaskets,
seals, silencers, barriers and other equipment should be regularly inspected and maintained.
i) Using administrative controls
Administrative noise control measures reduce the amount of noise to which a person is exposed by
reducing the time they are exposed to it. Examples include:
- Organising schedules so that noisy work is done when only a few workers are present

- Notifying workers and others in advance of noisy work so they can limit their exposure to it
- Keeping workers out of noisy areas if their work does not require them to be there
- Sign-posting noisy areas and restricting access
- Providing quiet areas for rest breaks for workers exposed to noisy work
- Limiting the time workers spend in noisy areas by moving them to quiet work before their daily
noise exposure levels exceed the exposure standard.
If you rely on administrative controls, you should conduct regular checks to ensure that they are being
complied with.
j) Using personal hearing protectors
Personal hearing protectors, such as ear-muffs or ear-plugs, should be used in the following
circumstances:
- When the risks arising from exposure to noise cannot be eliminated or minimized by other more
effective control measures,
- As an interim measure until other control measures are implemented
- Where extra protection is needed above what has been achieved using other noise control
measures.
If the use of personal hearing protectors is necessary, it is important that the hearing protectors are
worn throughout the period of exposure to noise. Removing personal hearing protectors for even short
periods significantly reduces the effective attenuation (noise reduction) and might provide inadequate
protection. For example, a worker wearing a hearing protector for a full 8-hour day will receive the 30
dB maximum protection level. However, one hour without wearing the hearing protector causes the
maximum protection level to fall to 9 dB.
Areas where people may be exposed to hazardous noise should be sign-posted as hearing protector
areas and the boundaries of these areas should be clearly defined. Workers and other persons, including
managers and visitors, should not enter these areas without wearing appropriate personal hearing
protectors, regardless of how short the time they stay in the hearing protector area.
Where sign-posting is not practicable, you should make other arrangements to ensure that workers and
others know when personal hearing protectors are required. For example:
- Attach prominent warning notices to tools and equipment indicating that personal hearing
protectors should be worn when operating them
- Provide written and verbal instructions on how to recognise circumstances in which personal
hearing protectors are needed
- Ensure effective supervision of identified hazardous tasks.
When selecting personal hearing protectors you should consider:

- The degree of attenuation required in the worker’s environment (see Table 4). Do not provide
protectors that overprotect by cutting out too much sound – this can cause difficulties hearing
verbal instructions and other sounds needed to work safely
- The suitability for the type of working environment and the work tasks. For example, ear-plugs
are difficult to use hygienically for work that requires them to be inserted with dirty hands and
in these circumstances, ear-muffs are more appropriate, but ear-muffs can be uncomfortable to
wear in hot environments and can make it difficult for the wearer to enter a confined space or
to wear a helmet
- The comfort, weight and clamping force of the personal hearing protector.
Table 4 Recommended class of hearing protector
Measured exposure Class

LAeq,8h dB(A)
Less than 90 1
90 to less than 95 2
Individual fit of personal hearing protectors is critical for optimum protection. Several devices are
available to assist with this. Wearing work equipment—such as hard hats, dust masks and eye
protection—may affect the performance of the protector. The fit of hearing protectors should be
checked while the user is wearing regular work equipment. Workers wearing spectacles should be fitted
with hearing protectors while wearing the spectacles.
k) Maintenance
Personal hearing protectors must be regularly inspected and maintained to ensure they remain in good,
clean condition. The inspections should check that:
- Ear-muff seals are undamaged
- The tension of headbands is not reduced
- There are no unofficial modifications
- Compressible ear-plugs are soft, pliable and clean.
If disposable ear-plugs are used, they should only be worn once.

You must provide your workers with training, information and instruction in the proper use, fit, care and
maintenance of personal hearing protectors. You should also:
- Include the need to wear hearing protectors in your safety procedures
- Place someone in charge of issuing and making sure replacements are readily available
- Carry out spot checks to ensure that workers are wearing their hearing protectors when
required and are using them correctly
- Ensure all managers and supervisors set a good example and wear personal hearing protectors
at all times when in hearing protector areas.
-
l) Audiometric testing
Audiometric testing must be provided within three months of the worker commencing work. Starting
the audiometric testing before people are exposed to hazardous noise (such as new starters or those
changing jobs) provides a baseline as a reference for future audiometric test results. Regular follow-up
tests must be carried out at least every two years. These should be undertaken well into the work shift
so that any temporary hearing loss can be picked up.
More frequent audiometric testing (e.g. every six months) may be needed if exposures are at a high
LAeq,8h, which is equal or greater than 100 dB(A).
Before introducing an audiometric testing program, you must consult with your workers and their health
and safety representatives. It is important that your workers understand that the aim of the testing is to
evaluate the effectiveness of control measures to protect their hearing.
Workers should be given the results of audiometric testing accompanied by a written explanation of the
meaning and implications. Only with the consent of the worker should you provide their results to other
parties. Unidentifiable individual results and group data should be made available to health and safety
representatives of the worker’s work group.
The reasons for any changes in hearing levels over time should be thoroughly investigated.
When temporary or permanent threshold shifts are revealed through audiometric assessments or a
worker reports a recent diagnosis of tinnitus, you must review your control measures to determine
whether more effective control measures can be implemented so that your workers do not have to rely
on personal hearing protectors.
If the worker is to continue using personal hearing protectors, you should:

- Verify that the nominal performance of the worker’s personal hearing protector is adequate for
the level of exposure to noise
- Examine the protector carefully and ensure it is not damaged
- Check the protector fits the worker closely with no leakage paths for noise

- Ask the worker if they have any difficulty using the protector
- Check the worker uses the protector correctly and consistently whilst performing their work.
If workers are found to have sufficient hearing loss to interfere with the safe performance of their work,
all reasonably practicable steps should be taken to modify the work environment. This may include
providing:
- Volume control on equipment such as telephones
- Acoustically treated meeting areas with low noise and low sound reflections
- Supplementary visual warning signals
- Alternative work for the worker if other measures do not remedy the situation.
Monitoring hearing with regular audiometric testing is recommended in situations where workers are
exposed to:
- Any of the ototoxic substances where the airborne exposure (without regard to respiratory
protection worn) is greater than 50 per cent of the national exposure standard for the
substance, regardless of the noise level
- Ototoxic substances at any level and noise with LAeq, 8h greater than 80 db(A) or LC, peak
greater than 135 db(C)
- Hand-arm vibration at any level and noise with LAeq , 8h greater than 80 db (A) or LC, peak
greater than 135 db(C).
- Implementing and maintaining
m) Control measures
A noise management plan may help implement the chosen noise control measures effectively. It should
identify what action needs to be taken, who will be responsible for taking the action and by when.
The plan should be based on the results of any noise assessment and should also include:
- Measuring noise levels to confirm that control measures are achieving expected attenuation
- Specifications for purchasing or hiring plant
- A description of any training and supervision that may be needed
- Control measures for temporary work areas and situations
- Timeframes for reviewing noise assessments and control measures.
n) References
a) QCS 2014
b) ISO 45001:2018
V. Vibration
The aim of this section is to eliminate those risks or to reduce them to the lowest feasible levels by all
appropriate means and to protect against risks to both health and safety from hand-arm vibration, i.e.

the risk of HAV Syndrome and carpal tunnel syndrome in those exposed, and situations where vibration
may affect the ability to safely handle controls or read indicators, or where it may interfere with the
stability or security of structures.
1. What is hand-arm vibration?
Hand–arm vibration (HAV) is vibration transmitted to a person’s hand and arm when using hand-held
power tools or hand-guided machinery like powered lawn-mowers or while holding materials being
processed by machines. HAV is commonly experienced by people who use jack-hammers, chainsaws,
grinders, drills, riveters and impact wrenches.
1.1 What are the health effects of exposure to hand-arm vibration?
Regular long-term exposure to excessive HAV can disrupt a person’s circulation in their hand and
forearm, and cause damage to nerves, tendons, muscles, bones and hand and arm joints. These
conditions are collectively known as hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) and include:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome – a disorder of the hand and arm which may involve tingling, numbness,
pain and weakness in parts of the hand.
- Musculoskeletal disorders – muscular and vascular disorders like weakness, pain and stiffness in the
joints of the hands and arms and little or no grip strength.
- Vibration white finger (Raynaud’s phenomenon) – a sudden constriction of the blood vessels which
slows blood flow to the extremities, most often fingers and toes. The skin will change in color,
usually accompanied by discomfort like pain, tingling and numbness. Severe cases can result in
complete loss of touch sensation and manipulative dexterity which can interfere with work and
increase the risk of acute injuries due to incidents.
- Dupuytrens contracture – fingers becoming permanently curled towards the palm and reduced grip
strength.
Workers with HAVS may find it impacts their work, social and family life. Periodic attacks of reduced
blood circulation may happen at any time and everyday tasks like handling small buttons on clothing,
opening jars and turning door knobs may become difficult.
There is evidence to suggest workers who are exposed to both HAV and noise are more likely to suffer
hearing loss than workers exposed to the same level of noise alone. Exposure to both vibration and
noise may also increase musculoskeletal problems.
2. What is whole-body vibration?
Whole-body vibration (WBV) is vibration transmitted to the whole body by the surface supporting it, for
example through a seat or the floor. It is commonly experienced by drivers, operators and passengers in
mobile plant when travelling over uneven surfaces. WBV may also be experienced while standing, for

example standing on platforms attached to concrete crushing plant. WBV includes sharp impacts like
shocks and jolts.
Exposure to WBV mainly occurs in vehicles used off-road or on un-sealed roads, for example on farms
and construction, mine and quarry sites. It can also occur in other places like in small, fast boats and in
helicopters.
Most people who drive vehicles on surfaced roads in good repair are not likely to experience harmful
levels of WBV. When road-going vehicles are used off road this activity may result in higher levels of
vibration.
2.1 What are the health effects of exposure to WBV?
Studies of long-term exposure to WBV show evidence of risks to health, mainly musculoskeletal
disorders involving the lower spine, neck and shoulders. High WBV exposure increases the risk of lower-
back pain, herniated discs and early degeneration of the spine.
Other factors may cause or contribute to back pain and shoulder and neck disorders, for example
working posture, body size, muscle tone, physical workload and individual factors like age, pre-existing
disorders and muscle force.
This makes linking symptoms directly to WBV difficult and therefore, a specific WBV health monitoring
program is not recommended.
Exposure to WBV may cause or make worse:

- Cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, endocrine and metabolic changes
- Digestive problems
- Reproductive organ damage in both men and women, and
- Impairment of vision, balance or both.
Exposure to WBV may also cause discomfort, fatigue and other problems when work activities are being
carried out. This could lead to incidents.
There is some evidence workers who use vibrating plant and are exposed to noise at the same time are
more likely to suffer hearing loss than workers exposed to the same level of noise alone. Exposure to
both vibration and noise is also understood to increase musculoskeletal problems.
2.2 How can WBV risks be managed?
The following steps should be used to make sure, so far as is reasonably practicable, workers and other
people are not harmed by exposure to WBV in the workplace.
2.2.1 Find out what could cause harm

- Observe the workplace to identify where workers may be exposed to WBV and how workers
interact with plant.
- Visually inspect the plant before and during operation.
- Ask your workers about any problems they may have with plant including operation, inspection,
maintenance, repair, transport and storage requirements.
- Review your incident and injury records looking for indicative symptoms e.g. disorientation, light
headedness, numbness, tingling, back or joint pain following vibrating plant use.
2.2.2 Assess the risks
When you have identified the hazards at your workplace you may need to assess the risks – the
likelihood of somebody being harmed by the hazard and how serious the harm could be. Think about
how incidents could happen and who might be harmed. The most important factors include:
- The magnitude of vibration (to help other duty holders minimize exposure to WBV, suppliers of
plant are encouraged to provide information on the vibration emission of plant according to the
relevant standards)
- Whether shocks or jolts are transmitted to the worker, and
- How long workers are exposed to vibration, both day-to-day and over their working life.
The main factors influencing harmful WBV exposures are:

- Plant characteristics—vehicle type and design, resistance forces, vehicle activity, engine vibration,
age and condition of plant, suspension design and maintenance, cab layout and design, plant speed.
- Work environment—rough road and surface conditions, unfavorable weather conditions, lighting
and visibility.
- Work organization—task design, duration of exposure, awkward postures, frequent twisting, long
periods of sitting and physical workload.
- Individual characteristics—driver skill and awareness or stress.
A risk assessment can help you determine what action you should take to control the risk and how
urgently the action needs to be taken. A vibration specialist or other competent person can assist you to
make this assessment.
2.2.3 Take action to control the risk
In accordance with the requirements of this section process owner/Contractor shall take measures to
eliminate or minimize risks.
The ways of controlling risks are ranked from the highest level of protection and reliability to the lowest.
This ranking is known as the hierarchy of control. You must work through this hierarchy to manage risks.
Measures to eliminate or minimize exposure to WBV should be considered:

- At the source of vibration
- Along the paths of the vibration, and
- At the position where the vibration enters the worker.
Consider if hazards from using vibrating plant can be completely removed from the workplace. For
example, introducing remotely controlled mobile plant rather than plant driven by workers.
If it is not reasonably practicable to completely eliminate the risk then consider implementing the
following options in the order they appear below to minimize risks, so far as is reasonably practicable:
- Substituting the hazard with something safer including purchasing or hiring mobile plant which has
lower vibration emission or is more suited to the task e.g. where forklifts are regularly used in
unpaved loading yards using a forklift designed for this use rather than one designed for indoor use.
- Isolating the hazard from people e.g. isolating or dampening a work platform to eliminate or
minimize vibration from a motor using rubber mounts and flexible connection.
- Using engineering controls e.g. installing seats on mobile plant designed to minimize vibration,
selecting tyre types suitable for the terrain, and maintaining suspension, roadways and tyres
regularly.
If after implementing the above control measures a risk still remains, consider the following controls in
the order below to minimize the remaining risk, so far as is reasonably practicable:
- Using administrative controls e.g. implementing speed limits on gravel or dirt roads or introducing a
roster system to minimize how long each worker is exposed to WBV.
- Using personal protective equipment (PPE) e.g. workers standing on a vibrating platform may
benefit from shoes with soles designed to reduce transmission of vibration to the feet. In most
cases PPE is unlikely to be effective on its own as a control measure to reduce WBV exposures.
- Cold weather or conditions may accelerate or worsen the severity of back pain so it is good practice
to make sure those working in the cold are provided with warm and if necessary, waterproof
clothing.
A combination of the controls set out above may be used if a single control is not enough to minimize
the risks.
Consider possible control measures and make a decision about what is reasonably practicable for your
workplace. Deciding what is reasonably practicable includes the availability and suitability of control
measures, with a preference for using substitution, isolation or engineering controls to minimize risks
before using administrative controls or PPE. Cost may be relevant but only after other factors have been
taken into account.
2.2.4 Information, instruction and training
Training must be provided to workers who use vibrating plant. This information, instruction and training
should at least cover:
- Health effects of WBV

- Sources of WBV and how the vibration can be minimized e.g. With proper seat adjustment
- How to recognize and report symptoms, and
- Where necessary, training in how to operate plant to minimize vibration
2.2.5 Check your control measures regularly to make sure they are working as planned
Control measures should be regularly reviewed to make sure they remain effective, taking into
consideration any changes, the nature and duration of work and whether the system is working as
planned.
2.2.6 Choosing the right plant
You should make sure plant selected or allocated for tasks produces the lowest WBV practicable, is
suitable and can do the work efficiently. The wrong type of plant may take much longer to complete the
task and expose workers to more vibration for longer than is necessary.
The design of plant should be considered as part of eliminating or minimizing WBV. For example:
- Cab layouts and control levers should be arranged so operators are able to maintain a comfortable
upright posture and do not need to twist their body excessively or maintain twisted postures.
- Suitable tyres should be selected so the plant can handle the terrain. Tyre selection can be
important as tyres absorb some effects of uneven ground. However, tyres cannot absorb the
vibration from larger lumps and potholes and soft tyres on uneven ground can increase a plant’s
vertical motions.
2.2.7 Suspension seats
Suspension seat systems should be:

- Appropriate for the plant—a poor choice can easily result in a higher vibration exposure than
without the suspension
- Unlikely to hit its top or bottom end stops during typical use—striking the end stops creates shocks
or jolts which increase the risk of back injury
- Easy to get into and easy to adjust for the operator's weight and body size—height, fore-aft and
backrest adjustments are especially important. The seat cushions should be ergonomically
designed, and
- Explained to drivers—drivers should be shown how to adjust them for their weight and given
information about why these adjustments are important to their health. They should be shown how
to set other seat controls—fore-aft position, height, and back-rest inclination—to achieve the best
posture.
Drivers and maintenance technicians should be trained to recognize when plant components affecting
vibration exposure and posture like the seat suspension system, need maintenance or replacing.
2.2.8 Maintenance

Regular servicing of plant and attachments and the roadways helps reduce vibration and shocks. It is
important to:
- Maintain road surfaces
- Replace worn parts including seat suspension
- Check and replace defective vibration dampers, bearings and gears
- Tune engines
- Maintain tyres and make sure they are inflated to the correct pressures for the surface and load
conditions, and
- Lubricate seats and other suspension systems
2.2.9 Is it necessary to measure WBV?
If workers find WBV is uncomfortable it is likely their exposure to vibration is reaching levels which could
pose a risk to their health. This may indicate a WBV problem and controls should be put in place to
minimize exposure.
Measurement of WBV may be needed in situations where it is not clear whether a worker’s exposure to
WBV is contributing to lower back pain or other suspected WBV-related health effects, or if you are
uncertain about the effectiveness of controls you have put in place to minimize exposure to WBV. This
should be carried out by a competent third party.
3. References
a) QCS 2014
b) ISO 45001:2018

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