Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS), commonly experienced as vibration white finger (VWF) is presenting the stone industry with a very serious problem, said John Western, director of Oldham masons S&J Whitehead at the Stone Federation annual conference in September.

Trevor Hay, from the Health, Safety, Ethical & Environmental Executive, spoke to the conference about the problem (see conference report, page 14), pointing out that while the HSE wanted to work with the industry, it remained an enforcement body.

John Western told the conference how Whiteheads and Manchester masons Mather & Ellis, along with machinery supplier Richard Chandler of Combined Masosnry Supplies had been working with the HSE to try to assess and combat the problem of hand injuries produced by vibrating masonry tools.

Western said: Millions of pounds have been paid to miners in compensation. The stone industry can\'t ignore the problems.

The HSE says it will continue to visit masonry firms, many of which have not even carried out an assessment of the risk to their masons, as is required by law.

The HSE is also publishing this month a new guide to respirable silica dust, another hazard faced in masonry workshops where sandstone, gritstone, granite, slate or other stones containing crystalline silica are used.