Section BSafe Manual Handling in the Workplace

Image courtesy of Health and Safety Executive

Faculty of Building, Engineering and Energy 2015

Manual handling operations are covered by the Manual Handling Operations

Regulations (MHOR) 1992. A copy of the manual handling regulations can be

found at the following website:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1992/2793/contents/made

Legislation

It is important to adopt safe manual handling techniques as good practice and safe systems of work can reduce injuries. Back and hand injuries are commonly associated with manual

handling operations. Some injuries can take a short time to recover from whilst others can affect operatives for the rest of their lives.

Safe Manual Handling

Image courtesy of The Training and Recruitment House

Avoid Assess Reduce

The regulations require employers to:

Avoid the need for hazardous manual handling, so far as is reasonably

practicable

Assess the risk of injury from any hazardous manual handling that cant

be avoided

Reduce the risk of injury from hazardous manual handling, so far as is

reasonably practicable

Employers Responsibilities

Your Responsibilities

Make appropriate use of equipment provided for your safety

Co-operate with your employer on health and safety matters

Inform your employer if you identify a hazardous handling activity

Ensure your activities do not put others at risk

Follow your employers safe system of work

If you think you have found a better, safer way to lift a load, you should discuss

your ideas with your supervisor.

Image courtesy of Health and Safety Executive

Before carrying out a manual handling task, operatives should have received manual

handling training. The training should include:

•Manual handling risk factors and how

injuries can occur

•How to carry out safe manual handling

including good handling technique

•Appropriate systems of work for the

individual’s tasks and environment

•Use of mechanical aids

•Practical work to allow the trainer to

identify and put right anything the

trainee is not doing safely

Training

Image courtesy of Health and Safety Executive

Your employer has a duty to assess the risks associated with manual handling. When

carrying out their risk assessment, they should consider the following:

•The task

•The load

•The environment

•Individual capability

•Other factors

The next slides will identify the questions

your employer must answer for each of the

considerations

Assessing the Risk

Your employer has a duty to answer the following questions regarding the lifting task.

Does the task involve:

•Holding or manipulating loads at distance from the

trunk?

•Unsatisfactory bodily movement or posture, especially

twisting the trunk, stooping or reaching upward?

•Excessive movement of loads including excessive

lifting or lowering distances, carrying distances or

pushing or pulling of loads?

•Risk of sudden movement of loads?

•Frequent or prolonged physical effort?

•Insufficient rest or recovery periods?

•A rate of work imposed by a process?

The Task

Image courtesy of Health and Safety Executive

Your employer has a duty to answer the following questions regarding the load of the

object being lifted. Is the load:

•Heavy?

•Bulky or unwieldy?

•Difficult to grasp?

•Unstable, or with contents likely

to shift?

•Sharp, hot or otherwise

potentially damaging?

The Load

Image courtesy of www.goldcrest-training.com

Your employer has a duty to answer the following questions regarding the

environment. Are there:

•Space constraints preventing good

posture?

•Uneven, slippery or unstable floors?

•Variations in level of floors or work

surfaces?

•Extremes of temperature or humidity?

•Conditions causing ventilation problems

or gusts of wind?

•Poor lighting conditions?

The Environment

Your employer has a duty to answer the following questions regarding individual capability and

other factors. Does the job:

•Require unusual strength, height etc?

•Create a hazard to those who might

reasonably be considered to be pregnant or to

have a health problem?

•Require special information or training for

its safe performance?

•Is movement or posture hindered by

personal protective equipment or by clothing?

Individual Capability

The MHOC 1992 does not specify what is considered to be a safe manual handling load. The

degree of risk associated with lifting varies according to the nature of the load, the circumstances

in which the lift takes place, how often the lifting is carried out and the weight of the item being

lifted. The diagram above should be considered a guide.

Manual Handling Loads

Lifting Techniques

1. Adopt a stable position with feet apart and one leg slightly forward to maintain

balance

2. Bend your knees and whilst keeping your back straight, lift the load.

3. Keep the head up when handling

4. Put the load down then adjust

Lifting Aids

A number of lifting aids are available to eliminate or reduce the need for manual handling in the

workplace. The images above show a hydraulic palletiser and a wheel barrow. Both of these

lifting aids reduce the impact that the lifted load has on the body and also reduces the likelihood

that injury will occur.

PALLETISER WHEELBARROW

Lifting Equipment

Lifting equipment is normally either mechanically or electrically operated and should only be used

by a trained and competent person. If the operator is a young person (under 18) they should also

be appropriately supervised.

HOIST VACUUM SLAB LIFTER

Lifting Equipment

Some lifting equipment may require an operative to hold a specific license before they can

operate the machinery. If you are ever in doubt about whether it is safe to operate machinery you

should consult with your supervisor.

FORKLIFT TRUCK HI-AB TRUCK

Lifting Equipment

We need to carefully consider the load of an objectbefore lifting so we can choose which type of liftingequipment to use. Every lifting aid or equipmentmust have its safe working load (SWL) displayedclearly. Lifting any object heavier than the SWL canhave fatal consequences.

Collapsed crane kills two people in New York in 2008 Source: Daily Mail