HAVS testing methods and technologies have continued to improve as awareness of the danger and the corresponding precautions have taken hold in many workplaces across the UK. HAVS is a serious condition that affects many workers, seriously impairing their quality of life.
Thankfully, the science behind these testing methodologies has been thoroughly and rigorously refined to produce excellent metrics for anyone wanting to protect themselves from the dangers associated with HAVS.
Science-Based HAVS Tests and How They Work
A combination of workplace injury professionals, scientists and doctors have devised ingenious tests to determine whether HAVS has caused a negative impact on an individual. How exactly do these HAVS tests work to show that there is indeed damage done to either the nervous system in the hands and arms or to the corresponding vascular system?
Hand Warming Time
Shaun from Principal Power Tools said “This test can determine if there are vasoconstrictions present in the vascular system of the hands of the worker being tested.” Temperature recordings are taken at room temperature at the skin on the tips of the fingers as a baseline measurement. They then monitor the temperature as the hands are placed in cold water (15 degrees) and left to rest there. They continue to monitor as the hands are removed and gauge how quickly the fingers return to the baseline temperature.
This test works by correctly measuring the speed at which the hand returns to normal temperature. If the hands take longer than average to return to baseline, there is a high likelihood that there is vascular damage in the hands which hampers the rewarming process.
Finger Systolic Blood Pressure Test
A similar test is done to determine if there is damage to the small and large blood vessels in the hands. The hand is submerged in cold water (10 degrees for 2 minutes) and with the help of a Doppler ultrasound instrument, they test to see the blood pressure of the finger, recording if there are discrepancies from the baseline tests. The ultrasound equipment gives accurate measurements of the blood pressure at the tips of the fingers, highlighting any irregularities.
Vibrotactile and Thermal Perception Tests
Thermal and vibrotactile perception tests are dialled in precisely to provide the most accurate data possible for HAVS testing. These specific tests measure the sensitivity of the nerves at the tips of the fingers, which is affected by nerve health.
To measure the perception of both temperature and pressure, test subjects place their arms flat on a table with the tips of the fingers subjected to changing push pressure and temperatures. Studies from Japan found that consistent temperature changes of 1C increments, and pressure increments of 0.5N were found to show the most repeatable and accurate measurements of the subject’s perception at their fingertips. With studies like these guiding the tests, subjects can figure out the extent of the damage, if any, in their fingers.
A Wide Variety of HAVS Tests
This array of science-based HAVS tests allow doctors and researchers to accurately measure the damage done to workers whosubject to vibration tools in the course of their work. Other tests exist to help diagnose this issue, all of them working together to paint a picture of the health and vitality of the subjects’ hands and arms.
