Raynauds Phenomena from mending fences for Harlow Council

Mr G was awarded £9,500 compensation in 2009

Mr G started work as a fencer for Harlow District Council in 1986 and worked for them until made redundant in 2007. Harlow Council was taken over by the Kier Group Limited during this period.

As a fencer for the Council, he was required to repair, erect and dismantle fences on all Council property including their houses, schools, allotments etc.

Some days he would be asked to repair a whole fence, other times it would simply be small repairs i.e. the replacement of a post of a panel. So use of vibrating tools depended on the nature of the job. He worked with were handheld concrete breakers, grinders and hammer drills.

The first breakers had their own diesel engine attached to them and were not well maintained so used to vibrate excessively. The breakers were used to remove existing concrete bound fence posts in order to clear the area ready for replacement.Depending on the nature of the job and the extent of the concrete that had previously been laid, he could have used the breaker all day.

Claiming Vibration White Finger Compensation

Throughout the time that he worked for Harlow County Council who later became the Kier Group, he did not receive any training in respect of the use of breakers nor was he advised that prolonged use of these breakers could cause damage to his hands. In addition he was never supervised whilst working and no one ever came to see how or what he was doing. However, Harlow Council carried out health checks roughly every 2 year but this was mainly to do with blood pressure and health.

Towards the end of the 90s the Council started to get rid of the older style breakers and replaced them with more modern ones, which had anti vibrating handles. These were much easier to use but still vibrated.

" I have been asked to confirm when I first noticed problems with my hands. I believe that I first noticed a problem in or around 2006. I noticed that my hands when they cold would go numb and I would have to warm them up to get feeling back into them. When this happened I would also get pins and needles and my hands would go white before they got the feeling back into them. This numbness and whiteness affected all of my fingers on both of my hands just below the first joint. "

Have you worked with vibrating machinery for a Council?

If you have worked as a fencer of gardener for a County Council and have the symptoms of Vibration White Finger or Raynaud's Phenomenon, we can help you to claim compensation. This case is typical of hundreds of similar cases our white finger solicitors have won over the years. To find out whether you may have a claim, call us on FreePhone 0800 783 9535 and ask for Lynne Manners or Warren Miller.

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