Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005
What this means for your business
- Enforced by
- HSE
- Applies to
- United Kingdom
- On this page
- 4 compliance obligations, 3 practical guides across 2 topics
What you must do
4 compliance obligations under this legislation.
Risk assessment 1
Carry out and record vibration risk assessments
Unlimited fineIf any of your work could expose employees to vibration, you must assess the health risk, check whether exposure could reach the action or limit values, and decide what control measures are needed. You must review the assessment whenever there is a change or you suspect it is no longer valid, and keep written records of the findings and the actions you will take.
Management duties 2
Eliminate or control employee exposure to vibration
Unlimited fineYou must either remove vibration hazards at the source or, if that isn’t reasonably possible, cut the risk down as far as you can. This means putting in a programme of organisational and technical measures – such as safer work methods, ergonomic equipment, regular maintenance, training, work‑schedule limits and health surveillance – and keeping exposure below the legal limit values.
Provide health surveillance for vibration‑exposed employees
Unlimited fineIf your risk assessment shows that workers are exposed to vibration at or above the action level, you must arrange suitable health checks, keep individual health records, give employees access to those records and supply them to the HSE if asked. If a vibration‑related illness is found, you must inform the employee, review the risk assessment and control measures, consider alternative work and check other similarly exposed staff. Employees must attend the checks at your cost.
Training 1
Provide information, instruction and training on vibration risks
Unlimited fineIf your risk assessment shows that staff may be harmed by vibration, or their exposure reaches the action value, you must give them clear information, instruction and training about the risk. This must cover the measures you’re taking, the legal exposure limits, the key findings of the risk assessment, how to spot and report injury, health‑surveillance rights and safe working practices, and it must be kept up‑to‑date when work methods change. The same duty applies to any contractors or other people carrying out work for you.
Penalties for non-compliance
4 penalties under this legislation. 4 carry an unlimited fine.
Carry out and record vibration risk assessments
Unlimited fine
Eliminate or control employee exposure to vibration
Unlimited fine
Provide health surveillance for vibration‑exposed employees
Unlimited fine
Provide information, instruction and training on vibration risks
Unlimited fine
Practical guidance
Our guides explain how to comply with the requirements above.
Noise and vibration exposure values quick reference
Quick-reference lookup for noise and vibration exposure action values, hearing protection selection using the SNR method, and hand-arm vibration daily …
Comply with vibration at work regulations
How to meet your legal duties under the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005. Covers hand-arm vibration (HAV), whole-body …
Health surveillance at work
When health surveillance is legally required at work and how to set it up. Covers COSHH hazardous substances, noise, hand-arm …
Sections and provisions
13 classified provisions from this legislation.