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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.
Here 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. Once again this is caused by vibration.
It is necessary to prove exposure to vibratory tools before a claimant is allowed through to Medical Assessment Process (MAP).
Miners' employment records are first collected to determine whether the claimant worked in an occupation in which it is agreed he would have used vibrating tools. For the purpose of paying compensation for VWF, 3 occupational groups have been identified. It has been accepted that claimants whose occupation fall within Group 1 or 2 would have had sufficient vibratory tool exposure to be damaging.
Group 3 claimants are not considered to have used vibratory tools as part of their job description and these claims are initially denied. However, the Department has 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 are required to provide witness statements, confirming exposure to vibration, in an agreed format. With this information and any other evidence available, the claim will be reviewed by Capita to determine whether it will be accepted.
The Department are prioritising the Group 3 claims of elderly men aged 71 and over at each stage of the occupational group process. In parallel to this, the Department are also progressing this cohort of men to MAP before liability has been confirmed. This concession only applies to men aged 71 and over, where the claim has initially been denied on occupation group, where denial is not accepted and the claimant has submitted as much evidence as they have to Capita under the OGP.
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 standardised test are a series of tests as follows:
The Vibrotactile Threshold test is used to test the mechanoreceptors (sensation specific endings) in the nerves. The mechanoreceptors have particular functions in that they respond to stretch, edge and texture and the receptors respond at different frequencies. Measurements are taken from the median nerve (index finger) and the ulnar nerve (little finger) in each hand at 2 frequencies. The Thermal Aesthesiometry test measures the thermal receptors in the nerves i.e. cold/heat threshold. Readings are again taken from the median nerve (index finger) and the ulnar nerve (little finger). The Purdue Pegboard test is a measure of dexterity and detects loss of fine movement to both hands.The Grip Force measurement test measures the grip strength of both hands. This test is not scored but is a useful indication of vibration damage to muscles of the hand and forearm.