Brammer says that more should be done to encourage the use of low vibration hand-held power tools.

More should be done to encourage the use of low vibration hand-held power tools, according to Brammer. The industrial maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) product distributor wants to raise awareness of their availability. It wants to champion their use and help manufacturers to raise the profile of their low-vib tools, including sanders, grinders, disc cutters, hammer drills, chipping hammers and needle guns.

The differences between standard and reduced vibration power tools are marked.

For example: standard Bosch GWS20-230 230mm angle grinder: 5.5 m/s squared (principal axis vibration) and new Bosch GWS21-230HV 230mm angle grinder with side and trigger handles vibration damped: less than 2.5 m/s squared (principal axis vibration).

Long-term power tool use can lead to health problems such as hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS), which the Health and Safety Executive says can be 'severely disabling'.

It affects the nerves, blood vessels, muscles and joints in hands, wrists and arms.

Over-exposure to hand-held power tools can also lead to vibration white finger, where the tips of the fingers turn white then red, and are painful on recovery.

Brammer tools and maintenance division manager Ian Lofthouse said: 'This is going to be a hot topic, and with health and safety more important then ever more should be done to get people to start using low-vib power tools.

'One of our key customers, which must have thousands of its employees using hand-held power tools, is now looking at the HAVS issue very closely.

We are in a position to help them tackle it by encouraging the power tool manufacturers to push their low-vib versions.' It is estimated that around five million workers are exposed to HAVS, and the introduction in 2005 of the Control of Vibration at Work 2005 regulations requires employers to reduce the risk of prolonged exposure to vibration.

'That means it's not just something employers might like to do,' Lofthouse said, 'it's a requirement, and we believe we can help our customers fulfil it.'