HSC consults on vibration rules

The HSC has begun consulting on how to implement the European Physical Agents (Vibration) Directive - but already unions and campaigners are angry that proposals have been watered down.

Workers will get explicit legal protection from vibration risks at work when the regulations come into force in July 2005. The new regulations will specify daily levels of vibration exposure where employers will be required to take action to control risks and where they must prevent further daily exposure.

However, lobbying by the HSC on behalf of industry means that exposure limits will be higher than originally thought and firms will have until 2010 to comply. The agriculture and forestry sectors will have until 2014, a move condemned by general union T&G as "disgraceful".

TUC health and safety specialist Tom Mellish said: "The HSC has done a disservice to workers across Europe. Instead of listening quite so closely to business, our health and safety watchdog might have given greater consideration to the thousands of workers suffering disabling vibration-related illness each year."

The consultation documents are at: www.hse.gov.uk/consult/live.htm or from HSE Books; comments by 31 March 2004