The Benefits of Using an Hour Counter and Tachometer with a Petrol Post Driver

If you’re a manual labourer that is regularly exposed to vibration, then it’s vital to take preventative measures to protect yourself from developing hand-arm vibration syndrome, vibration white finger or other occupational health issues when working with vibrating machinery. Let’s explore what hand-arm vibration syndrome is, the steps you can take to reduce the risk of developing it, and how combining your Petrol Post Driver with an Hour Counter and Tachometer can help you monitor your usage to protect yourself from harm.

What is hand-arm vibration syndrome and vibration white finger?

Hand-arm vibration syndrome (also known as HAV or HAVS) is a medical condition caused by prolonged exposure to hand-held vibrating tools or machinery such as chainsaws, drills, jackhammers, grinders, sanders and pneumatic tools. This condition primarily affects the nerves, blood vessels, muscles and joints of the hand, wrist and arm. Over time, the repeated vibrations can lead to permanent damage and a range of symptoms that impact a person’s ability to perform everyday tasks.

Vibration white finger (VWF) is a specific condition related to hand-arm vibration syndrome. It primarily affects the blood vessels in the fingers, causing them to lose circulation and turn white, especially in response to cold or stress.

Once advanced, both HAVS and vibration white finger can be irreversible, so early detection as well as proactive preventative measures to reduce the risk are critical.

What are the symptoms of hand-arm vibration syndrome?

The symptoms of HAVS are divided into three main categories: vascular, neurological and musculoskeletal.

Vascular (affecting blood vessels)

• Vibration White Finger (secondary Raynaud’s Phenomenon): The fingers may turn white due to reduced blood flow, especially in cold conditions.
• Tingling and numbness: Especially after prolonged use of vibrating tools, blood flow to the fingers may be reduced.

Neurological (affecting nerves)

• Numbness and loss of sensation: Over time, nerves may become damaged, leading to permanent numbness in the fingers.
• Reduced dexterity: Difficulty in fine motor skills, such as gripping small objects, can develop due to nerve damage.
• Pins and needles or tingling sensations: Even when not using tools, the affected areas may feel prickly.

Musculoskeletal (affecting muscles and joints)

• Weakness in grip strength: Muscle fatigue or joint stiffness can develop, making it difficult to hold or operate tools effectively.
• Pain and stiffness: Joints in the hand and arm may become painful or stiff, particularly in the wrist and elbow.

How to reduce the risk of hand-arm vibration when using a Petrol Post Driver

Normal use of the Easy Petrol Post Driver exposes the operator to vibration, with vibrations from handheld machines such as a petrol-powered post knocker transmitted to the user’s hands via the handles. Although the spring-dampened handles on our machines are designed to dampen a large part of the initial vibrations, of course we advise that when using this machinery, or any professional handheld machinery, it’s crucial to follow HSE guidance using the HAV measurements that are supplied with equipment to ensure you are using it safely and not impacting your health.

Here's some of our top tips for reducing the risk of hand-arm vibration when using a Petrol Post Driver:

• If numbness, tingling, pain, clumsiness, weakened grip, whitening of the skin, or other symptoms occur at any time - when operating the machine or when not operating the machine - do not resume operating the machine and seek medical attention.

• Let the tool do the job. Use a firm, but minimum hand grip, consistent with proper control and safe operation.

• When the impact mechanism is activated, the only body contact with the Post Driver should be hands on the spring dampened handles. Avoid any other contact, e.g. supporting any part of the body against the machine or leaning onto the machine trying to increase the feed force.

• Never keep the trigger engaged while removing the Post Driver from the post.

• Immediately stop working if the machine suddenly starts to vibrate strongly. Before resuming the work, find and remedy the cause of the increased vibrations.

What are the benefits of using an Hour Counter and Tachometer with a Petrol Post Driver?

Combining using a Petrol Post Driver with an Hour Counter and Tachometer is a great way to be able to monitor usage, including RPM and engine hours, on an Easy Petrol Post Driver to ensure that you’re not overexposing yourself to vibrations from the machinery. It can be installed quickly and easily, and can even be fitted retrospectively if you haven’t purchased one with it at the time of ordering. It displays from 0.1 hour to 9,999.9 hours, and the LCD display is always readable, even when equipment power is off for easy and continuous monitoring.

Contact us

If you’d like to know more about Easy Petrol Post Driver products, please get in touch with us via the contact form on our website, or you can call us on +44 (0)114 2699 119 or email info@petrolpostdriver.com.