HS&E Operatives practice question: Noise and vibration (3 of 7)
B. Occupational health A free question from our original HS&E Operatives practice exam. Try it, then open the answer to see why each option is right or wrong.
You use a hammer drill and a disc cutter most days.
Which two could be early signs of hand-arm vibration syndrome? (Choose two.)
Choose two answers.
AA. Fingertips going white, then red and painful
BB. Ringing in your ears after work
CC. A stiff lower back at the end of the day
DD. Tingling and numbness in your fingers
Show the answer and explanation
Answers: A, D
A. Right: Right. In cold or wet weather the fingertips may turn white, then red and painful as they warm up. Report this too.
B. Wrong: Wrong. Ringing in the ears (tinnitus) is a sign of noise damage, not vibration. Tools that vibrate are often noisy too, so you may need to report both.
C. Wrong: Wrong. Back pain can come from manual handling or from whole-body vibration, for example from driving plant, but it is not a sign of hand-arm vibration syndrome.
D. Right: Right. Tingling and numbness, during or after using vibrating tools, are early signs. Report them to your employer straight away.
Explanation
Early signs of hand-arm vibration syndrome include tingling, numbness, loss of grip and white fingertips. The damage can become permanent, so report symptoms early.