Be aware of hand and arm vibration syndrome

Whenever you work in a manufacturing or construction job, you’re exposed to pieces of machinery and environments that can cause certain types of injuries. An injury from a vibrating object is one kind of harm that could happen to you. If you work in a manufacturing workplace or have a job in a similar industry, you should be aware of which machines are able to give you this type of injury, what is happening to your body and what you can do to avoid the injury in the first place. You should also know about your available options if you’re ever injured from a vibrating machine.

What is hand and arm vibration syndrome?

When you hold an object that’s vibrating, damage to many parts of the body can happen, including the nerves, muscles and blood vessels. It’s entirely possible for a person to experience difficulties gripping objects with as much strength, and the injured person can experience whiteness of the fingers, numbness and tingling. Some of the types of machines that can cause this type of injury include jackhammers, sander, polishers and many other machines that vibrate.

There isn’t a cure once vibration syndrome has reached a certain point, but there are some things that you can do to prevent it in the first place. For instance, making sure that your hands are warm, holding the machine as loosely as possible, wearing gloves and taking breaks could all prevent damage to hands from occurring.

Know about worker’s compensation

If you get injured at work, your employer should have insurance that will pick up the tab for you to have trips to the doctor, medications or medical procedures. It’s important to know what kinds of workers’ compensation you could get for a vibration workplace injury. An attorney may help you file a claim for compensation.