Workplace Report December 2019

Health & safety - HSE Monitor

Miner’s claw regulations


New regulations came into force on 9 December 2019 adding Dupuytren’s contracture (A15) — also known as miners’ claw — to the list of prescribed industrial injuries. 


Dupuytren’s contracture is a condition where, over time, one or more fingers permanently bend in towards the palm of the hand and can no longer be straightened. In order to be eligible to claim industrial injuries disablement benefit, at least one of the finger joints — an interphalangeal joint — along at least one finger must be permanently bent. 


The claimant must also have been employed for 10 years or more in jobs that involved using hand-held powered tools with internal parts that vibrate. They must have used the tools for two hours or more a day, for three or more days a week, for all of the 10-year period. 


https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-industrial-injuries-disablement-benefit-for-dupuytrens-contracture