CEA member HYTORC is highlighting the risks associated with high-vibration impact wrenches and the importance of adopting safer bolting technologies to protect operators, reduce downtime and improve productivity.
Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) remains a serious occupational health concern for workers regularly using vibrating power tools. The condition affects the nerves, blood vessels and joints of the hands and arms, with symptoms ranging from tingling and numbness to loss of grip strength and vibration white finger. In severe cases, the damage can be permanent.
Impact wrenches, widely used in equipment maintenance, assembly and industrial bolting operations, are among the tools that can expose operators to potentially harmful vibration levels.
Unlike continuous torque tools, impact wrenches use a hammering mechanism to deliver repeated bursts of rotational force. While effective for loosening and tightening fasteners, this action generates vibration that is transmitted through the tool into the operator's hands and arms.
For employers, managing that exposure is both a safety responsibility and an operational consideration.
Under the UK's Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005, the daily Exposure Action Value (EAV) is 2.5 m/s² A(8), while the Exposure Limit Value (ELV) is 5.0 m/s² A(8). These limits take account of both vibration magnitude and the duration of exposure over a working day.
Where exposure reaches the action value, employers must introduce measures to reduce risk. These can include limiting tool operating times, rotating tasks and reviewing working practices.
Although necessary to protect employees, such restrictions can complicate maintenance schedules, particularly during major equipment overhauls and time-critical bolting operations.
Reducing vibration at source
HYTORC believes that selecting lower-vibration tools offers a more effective long-term approach than relying solely on restrictions to operating time.
The company's continuous torque technology uses geared torque multiplication to apply smooth, controlled rotational force without the repeated hammering action associated with conventional impact wrenches.
Available in battery-powered, electric, pneumatic and hydraulic configurations, continuous torque systems can substantially reduce vibration exposure while delivering the high torque levels required for demanding industrial applications.
According to HYTORC, its electric and pneumatic torque tools have recorded vibration measurements below 1.5 m/s², considerably lower than typical industrial impact wrenches.
Reducing vibration at source can allow operators to work for longer periods before reaching daily exposure thresholds, subject to the results of an appropriate vibration risk assessment.
There are also benefits beyond operator health.
Controlled torque application supports more consistent bolt tightening, helping reduce the risk of under-tightening, overtightening and damage to fasteners. For businesses maintaining construction equipment and other heavy machinery, this can contribute to improved joint integrity, fewer reworking requirements and more efficient maintenance operations.
HYTORC also points out that protective equipment, including anti-vibration gloves, should not be regarded as a substitute for reducing vibration at source. Although gloves may offer some protection under certain conditions, their effectiveness varies according to the vibration characteristics of the tool.
With employers under increasing pressure to protect their workforce while maintaining operational efficiency, lower-vibration bolting technology offers an opportunity to address both priorities.
For construction equipment manufacturers, maintenance providers and plant operators, reviewing the tools used for repetitive bolting operations could be an important step towards reducing HAVS exposure and improving workplace safety.
Further information is available at www.hytorc.com.
