Hand-arm vibration syndrome: Employer negligence leading to pain and disability

Stonewater Limited, a prominent social housing provider, has been fined £140,000 after being prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for failing to protect its workers from the dangers of excessive vibration exposure.

The case arose from the company’s failure to safeguard two assistants who were exposed to harmful levels of vibration during their work activities at various sites near Tanyard Farm in Coventry between 2018 and 2023.

The two male employees were responsible for carrying out a range of ground maintenance duties, including grass cutting, hedge trimming, litter picking, and weeding across different estates. These tasks required them to operate a variety of powered tools such as lawnmowers, leaf blowers, garden trimmers and hedge cutters. Once of the workers estimated that he used this equipment for approximately 90% of his working day on a regular basis.

Over time, this sustained and frequent exposure to high levels of vibration resulted in one of the workers developing hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS), a painful and debilitating condition. HAVS can affect the nerves, blood vessels, joints and muscles in the hands and arms, leading to symptoms such as tingling, numbness, loss of dexterity and severe pain.

Christopher Smith, 60, from Coventry, was the employee diagnosed with HAVS. Speaking about the impact the condition has had on his life, he said: “I have lost my fine motor skills and experience significant difficulty in picking up small objects, using a knife and fork or even doing up buttons. The pain keeps me up at night. I am unable to pick up my younger grandchildren to hold them. It is not only not having the ability to do this, but I am terrified I will drop them, and I don’t trust myself.”

An investigation by the HSE uncovered a series of significant failings in Stonewater Limited’s approach to managing vibration risks in the workplace. The company had failed to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for vibration exposure, which is a legal requirement under the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2025. Without this assessment, the company did not have a clear understanding of the level of risk their employees faced, or the necessary steps to mitigate it.

In addition, Stonewater Limited had not ensured that the vibration exposure levels were being properly monitored or recorded. This meant that the company lacked essential data that could have informed decisions on safe working practices and the need for control measures. The investigation also found that no effective measures were put in place to reduce employees’ exposure to vibration to the lowest level that is reasonably practicable.

Furthermore, employees have not been provided with the adequate information, instructions, or training about the risks associated with vibration exposure. Without the necessary knowledge and awareness, workers were unable to take steps to protect themselves or recognise the early signs of HAVS. The company also failed to implement a suitable system of health surveillance to monitor workers for symptoms of vibration-related conditions. 

Stonewater Limited, whose registered address is at Enderby Road, Whetstone, Leicester, pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company was fined £140,000 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £3,742 following a hearing at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 14 April 2025.

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