“…any transporting or supporting of a load (including lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving) by hand or bodily force“.
Anytime you use your body to move an object you are manually handling.
Manual Handling:
Manual Handling tasks occur wherever people are at work. Any time we use our bodies to move an object we are manual handling , whether we are in an office, a factory, a warehouse, a shop or any other working environment.
Examples of everyday manual handling tasks:
Carrying a shopping bag
Lifting a child
Lifting boxes of paper
Moving furniture
Pushing a trolley
Stacking shelves
Unloading a car
What Legislation Covers Manual Handling?
(Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Regulations 2007)
Key Recommendations when engaged in Manual Handling:
Do a risk assessment of the task & make an informed decision on what risks can be avoided or reduced.
Organise tasks to use mechanical or other means to avoid /reduce the need for the manual handling of loads.
Ascertain what hazards can be avoided by improved layout of work area to reduce long carrying distances.
The importance of providing instruction and training to relevant staff.
We will look at Risk Assessment in a later module.
Injury Statistics
Poor Manual handling is the biggest cause of injury in the workplace.
Biggest cause of people absent from work for extended periods.
Manual handling injuries account for 34% of workplace injuries.
Employees and employers must play a role in reducing injury risk.
