Understanding Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) - Hawkins Forensic Investigation

Event Overview

Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) is a debilitating condition caused by prolonged exposure to vibration, typically from the use of power tools or machinery in industries such as construction, manufacturing, and forestry.

Personal injury due to HAVS often arises when employers fail to implement adequate safety measures, such as providing proper training, equipment maintenance, or limiting exposure times. The condition can lead to symptoms such as numbness, tingling, loss of grip strength, and even permanent damage to blood vessels, nerves, and joints in the hands and arms. These effects can severely impact an employee’s ability to work, perform daily tasks, and maintain their quality of life, making it a critical issue in personal injury claims.

In this presentation, Principal Acoustics Consultant Dr Andrew Peplow provides a comprehensive understanding of HAVS, including its causes and symptoms.

Learning Objectives :

• Understanding the basics of Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome including its causes and symptoms

Speaker Bio

Dr Andrew Peplow – Acoustics Consultancy, Acoustics & Vibration, Noise & Vibration Injuries

With an academic background and over thirty years of experience in civil and environmental engineering, Andrew began studying at the University of Bath, where he earned degrees in Mathematics. This led him to obtain a PhD in 1996, specialising in computational mechanics applied to acoustic scattering from roadside noise barriers. Andrew has been engaged in the understanding of computational dynamics, environmental noise, and vibration control. His early work on the Boundary Element Method (BEM) for acoustic and elastic wave propagation set the stage for contributions in the field. Andrew’s expertise has been further enriched through collaboration with institutions such as KTH in Stockholm, TUM Munich and Aalborg University in Denmark. Supported by a Royal Academy of Engineering and EU Marie Curie grant, his joint research on the Waveguide Finite Element Method (FEM) and Exact FEM/BEM modelling has advanced the understanding of wave propagation in periodic and waveguide structures.

Andrew is an enthusiastic and experienced researcher and presenter in acoustics and computational methods organising summer schools in Europe and special sessions at international conferences since 1996. His research has produced over 60 high-impact publications and ongoing international partnerships while supervising MSc and PhD candidates.

Andrew has provided his expertise on topics applied to advise and solve complex challenges in railway vibration, structural and building vibration prediction, and environmental noise control. He has been instructed as technical expert for industries ranging from heavy plant operations to large-scale HVDC stations and wind farms.

Andrew joined Hawkins in September 2024 as an Principal Consultant based in our Cambridge office.

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