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This is an injury to the arm, hand, wrists, fingers or thumbs which has been caused by or contributed to by exposure to vibration. There are two main disabilities common for mineworkers:
This is specifically an injury to the fingers, thumbs or hands, wrists or arms which is caused or contributed to by exposure to vibration. This can result in a reduction of dexterity and ability to carry out common functions using these areas of the body.
This is a pain is caused in the arms and wrists and numbness and tingling in the hands. This is a result of the compression of a median nerve. This may caused by vibration. About 3 in 100 men and 11 in 100 women develop CTS at some point in their life. Sometimes it simply gets better without any treatment.
It is necessary to prove exposure to vibratory tools before a claimant is allowed through to Medical Assessment Process (MAP).
Miners' employment records were first collected to determine whether the claimant worked in an occupation in which it was agreed that he would have normally used vibrating tools. For the purpose of paying compensation for VWF, 3 occupational groups were identified. It has been accepted that claimants’ who worked within a Group 1 or 2 occupation for a qualifying period, would have had sufficient vibratory tool exposure to be damaging.
Group 3 claimants were not considered to have normally used vibratory tools as part of their job description and these claims are initially denied. However, the Department agreed that some Group 3 claimants would have had exposure to vibratory tools.
A detailed procedure, the Occupational Group Procedure (OGP), was agreed in April 2001 with the Claimants' Solicitors for processing such Group 3 claims. Those within this occupational group were required to provide witness statements, confirming exposure to vibration, in an agreed format. With this information and any other evidence available, the claim was reviewed to determine whether liability would be accepted.
The MAP consists of an examination and a series of tests by a doctor and trained technician alongside the gathering of information on the claimant's symptoms. It determines a staging on the severity of the claimant's VWF, which, in turn, determines the level of compensation to be paid.
The claims handlers calculate the compensation in accordance with tariffs agreed with the claimants' solicitors, making reductions where other agreed conditions exist which cause similar symptoms to VWF.
The claimant submitted a staging specific application and each of their helpers should provided supporting evidence using a separate form. Capita then investigated each case and phone helpers to validate the information that has been provided. Once validated, Capita prepared the claim for the Services medical.
