£1m settlement for vibration white finger

The GMB general union has won a £1 million settlement from utilities company North West Water for 18 of its members suffering from vibration white finger (VWF).

An out-of-court settlement was agreed after three days of a hearing scheduled to last a week. The GMB revealed that the solicitor acting for North West Water was instructed to settle the case immediately.

The victory followed on the heels of a similar case taken by the GMB against North West Water in August 2000 when the company had actually dismissed eight employees suffering from VWF. In this case the union won £1.2 million compensation for the sacked workers. Whittles, the solicitors acting for the GMB, have a further 150 cases pending.

The term vibration white finger (VWF) is used to describe damage to circulation, usually to the fingers, hands and arms, arising from contact with a vibrating tool. It can be accompanied by bone and joint problems and can also affect the sense of touch.

The symptoms are tingling sensations and numbness or whiteness of parts of the fingers. With continued exposure to vibration, the symptoms can become more severe, particularly in cold weather. During an attack fingers lose their normal sense of touch. After an attack which can last up to half an hour, the affected finger can become painful, red and throbbing when the circulation returns.