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Vibration 
White Finger is a disease affecting people who are regularly and frequently exposed to high levels of vibration, usually by vibrating power tools. It is permanent, and while it is not life-threatening, it can result in pain, extreme disability and cause people to lose their jobs.
It is part of Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS), and affects the vascular systems in the arms, hands, wrists, fingers and thumbs.
It is also a form of of Raynaud’s disease and can link to other underlying conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
Read more about Raynaud's disease.
Although the disease is nine times more likely to affect women than men, it affects a greater number of men, as fewer women tend to work in industries where VWF is common.
A Vibration White Finger is the vascular part of HAVS - otherwise known as Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome. This condition is caused by excessive vibration, mostly by vibration tools, and affects the arms, hands, wrists, fingers and thumbs.
A person with VWF will find that they get pins and needles and the fingers will often turn white and go numb. This can lead to reduced dexterity of the fingers and hand and the ability to carry out daily functions using these areas of the body.
Read more about symptoms of Vibration White Finger.
VWF can occur in both the hand exposed to vibration and the other hand. Vibration exposure can also result in carpal tunnel syndrome, which causes pain in the arms and wrists.
This condition is often found in people who have used hand-held vibratory tools or equipment like road drills and chainsaws, especially in the construction and mining industries, which has the second highest incidence of this condition.
Read more about Vibration White Finger in the construction industry.
Vibration White Finger was originally linked to power tools in 1911, but wasn’t recognised as a disease until 1985. In 1997, a historical court case awarded £127,000 compensation to seven miners for Vibration White Finger acquired through work and thousands of cases have been recorded since.
Read more about VWF in miners.
A survey about Vibration White Finger was carried out in 1997/8 by the Medical Research Council. It found that there were an estimated 228,000 sufferers in the UK, very few of which had made a VWF claim or knew they were entitled to make a claim.
As VWF is recognised as a disease, affected workers may be eligible for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB). This is a government-funded allowance that can be claimed through the JobCentre Plus. You can read more about IIDB at www.direct.gov.uk.
If you have been diagnosed with VWF in the last three years, we can help you make a compensation claim. Call us on 0800 10 757 95 or complete our online form and we’ll call you back to discuss whether you have a valid case and how you can make a claim. Since July 2005, the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations have covered vibratory work.
Win or lose, you will not pay any money to make a Vibration White Finger claim with us. If your claim is successful, our personal injury solicitors can recover their fees from the other party's insurance company, as well as securing your accident compensation award. If your claim is unsuccessful, we guarantee you will be fully protected from all costs and legal fees.
We have helped thousands of people claim millions of pounds in accident compensation for all types of injury - from whiplash to brain injury. Our solicitors, who have specialist knowledge of Vibration White Finger claims, are considered to be some of the finest in the country and will help you to get the best possible settlement.
For free legal advice about claiming for VWF please call 0800 10 757 95, chat to us online, or let us know when you'd like one of our advisors to call you back.
