Vibration White Finger is a condition known in the legal world as an industrial disease. This means that a person has incurred an injury as a result of prolonged activity at work over an amount of time. Vibration White Finger is a condition experienced by workers who have have a high degree of exposure to machinery which vibrates; such as drills, or chainsaws.
Vibration White Finger is also known as Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome as we now have more knowledge on the range of symptoms it may cause. Sufferers may not only get the so-called ‘white finger’ but could also experience tingling or numbness in the fingers and/or a general aching sensation which could extend through the fingers and up through the arms. In more serious cases, it has also been reported that sufferers have lost all feeling in their fingers and even up through their hands.
Employers have a duty to protect their staff, as far as is reasonably possible, from risks to their health and safety. If no other safety measures can be put in place, as a last resort, employers should provide employees with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). In the case of protecting against vibrations, this may be anti–vibration gloves. This duty is further encapsulated in The Control of Vibrations at Work Regulations 2005 – any employers who have their staff utilising vibrating machinery at work should have a good knowledge of this act.
It is obvious to see that it is manual workers that are most at risk of industrial diseases such as Vibration White Finger; furthermore, there is an increased likelihood that this section of the workforce do not get paid in full if absent from work. In view of this, it is advisable to begin a claim as soon as possible – as soon as liability is admitted by the other side, applications can be made for interim payments to assist you financially before the claim settled. Interim payments are payments which can be made before the conclusion of a claim if a claimant is suffering financial hardship. It must be of note however that any payment received will then be deducted from a final settlement figure.
At The Injury Lawyers, we are able to fully advise on VWF claims. We also understand the difficulties some may have regarding claiming against their employer – to this, we say…
“That is why we are here to help and act on your behalf!”
Call 0800 634 7575 to get your vibration white finger claim started today. If you prefer, why not arrange a call back from one of our team, for FREE instant advice on whether you have a claim to make! Just fill out the quick form below and we’ll call you back at a time which suits you.
