Noise and Vibration Regulations on Site: CNAWR 2005, HAV and WBV Exposure Limits, Trigger Times and Controls

Quick Answer: Two parallel sets of regulations govern site exposure. The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 set a Lower Exposure Action Value of 80 dB(A) (peak 135 dB(C)), an Upper Exposure Action Value of 85 dB(A) (peak 137 dB(C)) and an absolute Exposure Limit Value of 87 dB(A) (peak 140 dB(C)), the limit measured at the ear allowing for hearing protection. The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 set a hand-arm vibration (HAV) Exposure Action Value of 2.5 m/s² A(8) and Exposure Limit Value of 5.0 m/s² A(8), and a whole-body vibration (WBV) EAV of 0.5 m/s² A(8) and ELV of 1.15 m/s² A(8). HSE's points system makes vibration manageable on site: 100 points = the EAV, 400 points = the ELV.

Summary

Noise and vibration are the two slow-burn occupational health hazards of the trades. Neither hurts on the day. Both are cumulative and irreversible: noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus develop over years of unprotected exposure to grinders, breakers, nail guns and circular saws, while hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) and vibration white finger destroy the blood vessels and nerves in the fingers from years of using vibrating tools. By the time a tradesperson notices the symptoms, the damage is permanent. Both conditions are among the most common — and most expensive — civil claims brought against employers in construction.

The legal framework is two separate-but-twinned 2005 regulations, both enforced by HSE and both built on the same logic: an action value at which you must start controlling exposure and offering health surveillance, and a limit value you must not exceed. The numbers differ between noise and vibration, and between hand-arm and whole-body vibration, which is where confusion sets in. This article puts all the thresholds in one place with the tool data and trigger times tradespeople actually need.

The single most useful concept for the working tradesperson is trigger time — the actual time a tool is running and vibrating in the hand, not the time on site. A breaker might be in your hands for 40 minutes across a day, not eight hours. HSE's points system turns the manufacturer's vibration figure plus your trigger time into a simple score: hit 100 points and you are at the action value, 400 points and you are at the limit. This article builds on vibration havs (HAVS detail) and noise at work regulations (noise detail), pulling both into one site-control reference.

Key Facts

• Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 — Lower EAV 80 dB(A) daily/weekly, peak 135 dB(C); Upper EAV 85 dB(A), peak 137 dB(C); Exposure Limit Value 87 dB(A), peak 140 dB(C)
• Noise ELV is "at the ear" — the 87 dB(A) limit is measured taking account of hearing protection worn; the action values are measured without protection
• At the Lower EAV (80 dB(A)) — provide hearing protection on request, provide information and training, assess the risk
• At the Upper EAV (85 dB(A)) — mandatory hearing protection, designate and sign hearing protection zones, reduce exposure, provide health surveillance (audiometry)
• Rule of thumb — if you have to shout to be heard at 2 m, noise is around 85 dB(A); at 1 m, around 90 dB(A)
• Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 — HAV — Exposure Action Value 2.5 m/s² A(8); Exposure Limit Value 5.0 m/s² A(8)
• Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 — WBV — Exposure Action Value 0.5 m/s² A(8); Exposure Limit Value 1.15 m/s² A(8)
• A(8) means the daily exposure normalised to an 8-hour reference period
• HSE points system — 100 points = the HAV EAV (2.5 m/s²), 400 points = the HAV ELV (5.0 m/s²). Add up points for all tools used in a day
• Trigger time — the actual contact/running time the tool vibrates in the hand, not shift length. This is what drives the daily dose
• HAVS — hand-arm vibration syndrome; includes vibration white finger (blanched fingers, cold-triggered), numbness, tingling, loss of grip and dexterity. Irreversible
• Carpal tunnel syndrome — also linked to vibration exposure
• HAVS is a RIDDOR-reportable disease when diagnosed by a doctor in a worker whose job involves significant vibration exposure
• Health surveillance — required above the action value for both noise (audiometry) and vibration (tiered HAVS questionnaire/assessment)
• SNR (Single Number Rating) — hearing protectors are rated by SNR; subtract from measured noise level (with a real-world derating) to estimate protected level
• Whole-body vibration — affects drivers of dumpers, rollers, excavators, forklifts; risk is lower back damage from jolting/poor seats over rough ground
• Manufacturers must declare vibration values — under the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations; but declared (test) figures often understate real on-site magnitude — measure or use HSE/industry "real" figures where possible

Quick Reference Table

HSE points / trigger-time guide (HAV) — points accrue per tool; reach the action value (100) or limit (400):

Trigger times above are indicative — always recalculate using the actual declared (or measured) magnitude for the specific tool. Higher magnitude = far less safe trigger time. Figures marked should be confirmed against the manufacturer's data sheet and HSE's vibration calculator.

Detailed Guidance

How daily noise exposure builds up

Daily noise dose depends on both the level and the time exposed. Every 3 dB(A) increase doubles the sound energy — so 88 dB(A) for four hours gives the same dose as 85 dB(A) for eight. This is why short bursts of very loud work (an 8-minute cut with a disc cutter at 105 dB(A)) can blow your daily allowance as fast as a whole day at a moderate level.

Control hierarchy (in order):

1. Eliminate / substitute — quieter method or tool; e.g. hydraulic crunching instead of breaking, screw fixings instead of nail guns, low-noise discs.
2. Engineering controls — silencers, damping, enclosures, anti-vibration mounts; keep tools maintained (blunt blades and worn bearings are louder).
3. Organisational controls — limit exposure time, job rotation, distance (double the distance ≈ 6 dB quieter), screen off noisy work.
4. Hearing protection (last resort) — provided on request at 80 dB(A), mandatory at 85 dB(A). Select by SNR; do not over-protect (over-attenuation isolates the worker and discourages use).

Selecting hearing protection (SNR)

The SNR is the manufacturer's single-number attenuation. The crude method: protected level ≈ measured level − (SNR − 4 dB derating for real-world fit), but HSE prefers the octave-band or HML method for accuracy. Aim for a protected level at the ear of roughly 75–80 dB(A) — comfortably below 85 but not so low the worker is dangerously isolated from alarms and vehicles. Earplugs, semi-inserts and earmuffs all work; fit and consistent use matter more than the headline rating.

How the vibration points system works on site

The points system is HSE's practical tool for adding up mixed-tool days without doing the full A(8) maths.

• Each tool has a points-per-hour rate derived from its vibration magnitude.
• Multiply the points-per-hour by the trigger time (hours the tool actually vibrates in the hand).
• Add the points for every vibrating tool used that day.
• 100 points = EAV (2.5 m/s²) — health surveillance, action to reduce exposure.
• 400 points = ELV (5.0 m/s²) — must not be exceeded; stop and reorganise the work.

Worked example: a road breaker at ~12 m/s² accrues points fast. Eight minutes reaches 100 points (the action value); around 30 minutes reaches 400 points (the limit). A worker who breaks out a slab for an hour with that tool is well over the legal limit for the whole day — even if they do nothing else vibrating.

Reducing vibration exposure

1. Eliminate / substitute — remote/hydraulic demolition, pre-cut materials, lower-vibration tool models. Vibration magnitudes between tool models vary enormously; choosing a low-vibration tool can halve the dose.
2. Limit trigger time — rotate tasks, share the breaking-out between workers, build in non-vibrating tasks.
3. Maintain tools — sharp bits/blades, balanced rotating parts, correct consumables. A worn or blunt tool vibrates far more and cuts slower (more trigger time).
4. Anti-vibration measures — AV-mounted handles, AV gloves (note: gloves keep hands warm and improve grip but cannot be relied on to reduce A(8); HSE does not credit them as exposure reduction).
5. Keep warm and dry — cold worsens HAVS symptoms; keep hands and the whole body warm, encourage circulation, avoid gripping harder than necessary.

Health surveillance

Above the action value, both regimes require health surveillance:

• Noise — audiometry (hearing tests), typically baseline then annually for the first two years, then periodically. Detects early hearing loss so exposure can be reduced before it worsens.
• HAVS — tiered system: a short annual questionnaire (Tier 1/2), escalating to a clinical assessment by a qualified occupational health professional (Tier 3) and standardised testing (Tier 4) where symptoms appear. Early detection lets you remove the worker from exposure before the condition becomes disabling.

A confirmed HAVS diagnosis (or carpal tunnel syndrome) in a vibration-exposed worker is RIDDOR-reportable to HSE.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do these regulations apply to a self-employed sole trader?

Yes, the duty to assess and control your own risk applies under the broader Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, even though some surveillance provisions are framed around employers. More practically: HAVS and hearing loss are personal, permanent injuries. A sole trader who breaks out concrete and cuts paving daily for a decade without managing trigger times and wearing hearing protection is risking their own livelihood and health — the regulations simply describe what reasonable control looks like.

What's the difference between hand-arm and whole-body vibration?

Hand-arm vibration (HAV) is transmitted through the hands from hand-held or hand-guided tools — grinders, breakers, drills, sanders — and damages the fingers (HAVS/white finger, numbness, carpal tunnel). Whole-body vibration (WBV) is transmitted through the seat or feet, mainly to plant and vehicle drivers over rough ground, and damages the lower back. They have different action and limit values: HAV is 2.5/5.0 m/s²; WBV is 0.5/1.15 m/s².

Can anti-vibration gloves reduce my exposure under the regs?

Not for the purpose of the A(8) calculation. HSE does not allow AV gloves to be counted as a reduction in vibration exposure because their performance varies and can even amplify some frequencies. Gloves are still useful for keeping hands warm (which reduces HAVS symptom severity) and improving grip — but the genuine controls are quieter/lower-vibration tools, limiting trigger time and maintenance.

How loud is "too loud" without a meter?

Use the conversation test. If you have to raise your voice to talk to someone 2 metres away, the noise is likely around 85 dB(A) — the upper action value. If you have to shout at 1 metre, it is around 90 dB(A) and you are over the action value. Any time you are using a disc cutter, breaker, nail gun or grinder, assume you are at or above the upper action value and wear hearing protection.

Is HAVS reversible if I stop using vibrating tools?

The early symptoms (occasional tingling or numbness) may stabilise or improve slightly if exposure stops. But established HAVS — regular white finger attacks, persistent numbness, loss of grip and dexterity — is permanent. There is no cure. This is why early detection through health surveillance and controlling trigger time before symptoms appear is the only effective protection.

Regulations & Standards

• Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 — action values (80/85 dB(A)), limit value (87 dB(A)), duties to assess, control and provide health surveillance

• Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 — HAV (2.5/5.0 m/s²) and WBV (0.5/1.15 m/s²) action and limit values, health surveillance

• RIDDOR 2013 — reporting of HAVS, carpal tunnel syndrome and occupational deafness/dermatitis where diagnosed

• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 — overarching risk-assessment duty

• Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 — requires manufacturers to declare noise and vibration emission values

• BS EN ISO 5349 — measurement and evaluation of hand-transmitted vibration

• BS EN ISO 2631 — measurement and evaluation of whole-body vibration

• HSE — Noise at work — Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, action values, control guidance

• HSE — Hand-arm vibration at work — points system, exposure calculator, health surveillance

• HSE — Hand-arm vibration exposure calculator — official calculator for daily exposure and points

• HSE — Whole-body vibration — WBV action and limit values and controls

• HSE — Construction noise (INDG362) — practical noise control on construction sites

• vibration havs — full detail on HAVS symptoms, the points system and surveillance tiers

• noise at work regulations — detailed noise control, hearing protection selection and zones

• dust control — the third cumulative health hazard; same control-hierarchy approach

• ppe selection guide — selecting hearing protection and other PPE correctly