Experts say about two million U.S. workers are exposed to hand-arm vibration on the job and as many as half of them will develop Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS). Otherwise known as White Finger, HAVS is a permanent and irreversible medical condition in which fingers, hands and arms lose feeling and/or have continual tremors based on the after-effects of frequent and prolonged operation of vibrating tools or machinery. Extreme cases have resulted in the loss of parts of or entire digits. Here’s a look at what causes HAVS, how to recognize symptoms and how to mitigate the damage.
Anybody who’s ever spent a few hours weeding, pushing a lawnmower or going for a lengthy bike ride has probably experienced it on some level: tingling and numbness in the hands and arms.