Tag Archive for: Records

HSE records growth in HAVS cases

HSE records growth in HAVS cases: The company behind HAVSPRO, the solution for the accurate, real-time measurement and monitoring of workplace vibration, is highlighting the latest Health & Safety Executive (HSE) figures, released in November 2022, which show a 375 percent rise in new Hand Arm Vibration.

Over 300 new cases of HAVS were reported in 2021, in addition to 165 new cases of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (up 412 percent) and 255 new instances of Depuytren’s Contracture (a rise of 392 percent). HAVSPRO points out that these conditions are all easily preventable with appropriate measures in places to protect the workforce.

However, in addition to this disturbingly high rise in cases, the HSE report also shines a light on the extensive array of industries (some previously unconsidered) in which workers are exposed to such debilitating conditions.

Whilst the HSE statistics show the construction and mining industries have long been seen as key contributors to risk in this area, a number of new sectors are revealed as being areas of concern, including ‘service’ industries. The reported data sets include repair of motor vehicles, accommodation and food service activities, and transport and storage as part of the Service sectors that are reporting over 50 percent of new cases in 2021.

More than two million people are at risk from developing HAVS and approximately 300,000 people suffer from HAVS in the UK alone, with companies already feeling the impact of successful worker litigation to the tune of £2.5m in fines alone in the last 7 years – and almost £1.4m of these fines have been since 2018.

Russ Langthorne, Managing Director of SIXIS Technology, the company behind HAVSPRO, and a personal HAVS sufferer himself, is concerned at these significant increases; “These statistics are particularly concerning because the number of new cases is at a five-year high, and not just skewed as a result of the recent pandemic. It is clear that companies need to be taking this growing risk factor more seriously, given the significant impact it can have on both their workforce and their bottom line. Action must be taken now.”

HSE regulations stipulate that “An employer who carries out work which is liable to expose any of their employees to risk from vibration shall make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk created by that work to the health and safety of those employees, and the risk assessment shall identify the measures that need to be taken to meet the requirements of these Regulations”.

However, the regulations further state that “There is no legal requirement for continual monitoring and recording of vibration exposure and that to do so would probably not be a good use of your or your employees’ time, unless there are very specific circumstances.”

Russ adds: “Clearly, this huge rise in new cases in a number of related HAVS conditions and across a host of industries, indicates that there is now a very real requirement for businesses to prioritise vibration exposure measuring and monitoring, both to protect their workers and to avoid costly litigation and fines.

“The game changing and simple to adopt HAVSPRO system provides continuous measuring and monitoring of vibration exposure, allowing for a proactive, ALARP-focused approach to vibration risk management. There is no longer any excuse for companies not to engage in doing everything possible to manage the risk from vibration exposure, to as low as reasonably practicable, and to #MakeHAVSHistory.”

For more information, visit the HAVSPRO website.

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A Track Set for Records

A Track Set for Records: The Tokyo Olympics 2020 is at last upon us, the delay as a result of Covid-19. While the world’s best athletes had extra time to prepare, did you ever stop to wonder about the preparation that went into the track to guarantee all athletes a safe and fair opportunity to break records?

Sports Labs was the entrusted independent testing institute responsible for the in-situ performance testing of the track at the National Stadium in Tokyo and this article will give insight into what was required.

A Track Set for Records

A Track Set for Records

The purpose of testing is simple – to certify the venue is safe for all athletes and the surface will provide the ideal platform for athletes to excel. The focus was on the surface which needed to be designed and installed to support the athlete over short and long distances.

World Athletics has a quality program to protect the integrity of records and to ensure they will be ratified only if the track conforms to a stringent series of safety and performance tests.

The Tokyo track is the National Stadium and it is registered as a Class 1 venue, one that has been both in-situ performance tested as a surface and also had a dimensional survey carried out to verify the slope, distances, and ancillary infrastructure are adequate.

There are two types of certifications for tracks.

Class 2: A dimensional conformance survey used to prove the accuracy of the line-markings for position and distance.

Class 1: A measurement conformance survey to prove the accuracy of the line-markings for position and distance and testing of the running surface, as laid, to prove compliance with the performance requirements.

For an international competition or meets such as the Olympics, Rule 140 recommends Class 1 certification. It means the product used must be registered and certified as well as the facility after installation.

But before ground is broken or a track is laid, the process requires a manufacturer to have the track product laboratory tested. These include tests at varying temperatures to ensure the product shows compliance in different climates.

The Italian manufacturer and installer, Mondo S.p.A., installed the MONDOTRACK WS-TY at the National Stadium in Tokyo.

The responsibility for Sports Labs was to certify the performance testing of the surface, which looked for the following:

Visual Imperfections
Ensuring a facility has no defects such as delamination, uncured areas, or irregularities. This is important for athlete safety but also important when televised in high definition for elite competitions.

Slip Resistance (≥47 Wet)
A measurement of underfoot friction, a very important part of an athlete’s performance and foot/surface interaction during Gait. The surface texture plays a key part in providing the underfoot friction in dry or wet conditions.

Total and Absolute Thickness Depth
With more than 200 total thickness measurements taken at the venue to check the areas of minimum, maximum, and deliberately thickened areas, this tends to be more consistent in prefabricated products. Absolute thickness is also measured in the laboratory from extracted site samples and is a measurement considering 50% of the texture.

Force Reduction (35-50%)
This is a measurement of how hard a surface is compared to calibrated concrete. It is also referred to as Shock Absorption. Using the Berlin Athlete, it can’t be too hard or too soft, Most importantly, it must be consistent.

Vertical Deformation (0.6 – 2.5mm)
This is a measurement that also uses the Berlin Athlete. It utilises linear vertical displacement transducers to ascertain how much the surface deforms under impact.

Evenness (6mm/3mm)
Evenness is measured with a calibrated 4m straight edge to ensure a track has no surface deviations greater than 6mm in both the longitudinal and lateral direction. This test is focused on user safety to remove the risk of undulations and tripping hazards. A 1m straight edge is also used with a tolerance of 3mm.

Tensile Strength & Elongation
This test is to ensure the polymer, binder and all components are set and cure adequately. It is important to protect the life expectancy of the track and the tolerances vary for product type porous (≥0.40MPa/40%) or non-porous. (≥0.50MPa/40%). Samples are extracted from the site and tested in a Sports Labs laboratory.

Drainage
No surface water should be above the texture of the track after 20 minutes of free draining.

Conditions for New Records

Every athlete has their surface preference, but a track that is consistent in depth, shock absorption, and underfoot friction is ideal. Elite athletes commonly lean toward a track that has high energy restitution and sits closer to the minimum tolerance for Shock Absorption and Vertical Deformation.

Future Innovation

User feedback and athlete perception is becoming more important to manufacturers. Technologies that work to categorise feedback are becoming more widely available, including athlete feedback apps, built-in track sensor technology, and wearable technologies that collect multiple streams of data. Developments may come from test methods like the inclusion of Energy Restitution or refined tolerances on existing tests. This might be needed as innovation, manufacturing, and installation techniques drive forward.

The world is watching the Olympics and the remarkable stories of success coming out of Tokyo. Sports Labs is humbled and honoured to play a role in this historic event.

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