Consider the Risks from Manual Handling to the Health and Safety of Your Employees

manual handlingThe Manual Handling Operations Regulations define it as ‘any transporting or supporting of a load (including the lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving thereof) by hand or by bodily force’.

In effect, any activity that involves an individual to lift, move or support a load, will be classified as a manual handling task.

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In the UK, 1.1m people reported that they suffered from musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) caused, or made worse, by work. It is estimated 12.3m working days are lost annually due to work-related MSDs.

More than a third of all reportable injuries of over three days involve manual handling, and around 10% of major injuries are linked to manual handling. It has a major impact on all workplaces, and costs the economy hundreds of millions of pounds every year.

Anyone involved in the moving and handling of goods and people could be at risk. Injuries and suffering can be linked to any work involving handling of loads. There are risks in handling even light loads if a repetitive task is being carried out in poor conditions. Poor ergonomics and workplace layout are a factor in many hazardous manual handling tasks.

Risks can be found in all work sectors, but healthcare, agriculture and construction are recognised as high-risk industries due to the number and nature of the manual handling activities.

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The Manual Handling Operations Regulations These Regulations state that employers should adopt a hierarchy of control measures:

  1. to assess any hazardous Manual Handling Operation that cannot be avoided
  2. to prevent hazardous Manual Handling Operations so far as is reasonably practicable
  3. to minimize the risk of injury so far as is reasonably practicable.

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One way to assess manual handling activities is to look at four specific areas – Task, Individual, Load and Environment (easily remembered by the acronym TILE).

As with any assessment, the workforce should be involved in the process, and use should be made of any relevant guidance available for particular industries.

Key factors to consider in each element are:

  1. The Task Does the activity involve twisting, stooping, bending, excessive travel, pushing, pulling or precise positioning of the load, sudden movement, inadequate rest or recovery periods, team handling or seated work?
  2. The Individual Does the individual require unusual strength or height for the activity, are they pregnant, disabled or suffering from a health problem. Is specialist knowledge or training required?
  3. The Load Is the load heavy, unwieldy, difficult to grasp, sharp, hot, cold, difficult to grip, are the contents likely to move or shift?
  4. The Environment Are there space constraints, uneven, slippery or unstable floors, variations in floor levels, extremely hot, cold or humid conditions, poor lighting, poor ventilation, gusty winds, clothing or Personal Protective Equipment that restricts movement?

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As with any other risk, if you can eliminate or avoid the risks from manual handling, this is by far the best option. You should try to remove as many of the constraints as possible to minimise the risks to as low a level as reasonably practicable.  Look at how the task can be fitted to the individual.

Take into consideration whether mechanical handling aids could be used, this could range from a simple trolley or sack truck to more sophisticated aids such as conveyors or fork lift trucks.

If you cannot take away or mechanise the manual handling tasks, you must carry out a risk assessment where the task could present a risk of injury. You need to look at ways to reduce the risks to as low a level as reasonably practicable.

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Aegis 4 Training is Accredited Online Manual Handling Training Course


Manual Handling Safety TrainingManual handling untoward incidents reached for more than a third of all accidents reported each year to the enforcing authorities. It is estimated that in excess of 500,000 people in Great Britain suffer from a musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) mainly affecting the upper limbs or neck that was caused, or made worse, by their present or previous work.

Employers were required to ensure that all employees are trained and competent in manual handling by The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992

This Manual Handling Training Course provides the necessary information and training for organisations to understand more about the risks associated with manual handling, how to undergo a risk assessment and how to ensure appropriate control measures are put in place.

  • Accredited by CPD and RoSPA
  • Developed by health and safety professionals
  • Fully online course and assessment with no time limits
  • Ensures compliance with UK Health and Safety legislation
  • Matches the CIEH Level 2 Syllabus
  • Full audio voiceover
  • Approximate duration: 1 hour
  • On completion, certificate is posted the next working day

This Manual Handling Training Course is aimed at all levels of employees who may undertake manual handling operations, including the transporting of a load of items by pulling, carrying,  lifting, putting down, pushing, or moving thereof by hand or by bodily force. This includes, but is not limited to, professions such as:

  • Unloading and loading of vehicles
  • Office workers
  • Delivery drivers
  • Warehouse and factory staff
  • Heavy manual labourers
  • Farmhands
  • Construction and building site workers

Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and regulations 10 and 13 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to provide their employees with health and safety information and training. This should be supplemented as necessary with more specific information and training on manual handling injury risks and prevention, as part of the steps to reduce risk required by the regulations.

 

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 require employers to ensure that all employees are trained and competent in manual handling. It is the employer’s duty to avoid manual handling as far as is reasonably practicable and, if this cannot be materialized, the employer must take action to minimize the risk of injury.

This Manual Handling Training Course ensures employers comply with these Regulations by providing appropriate knowledge of the risks and safety measures associated with manual handling tasks.

On completion of the course you will be sent a certificate through the post the following  working day. This can be used to provide evidence for compliance and audit.

All of our courses are accredited by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to universally accepted Continuous Professional Development (CPD) guidelines.

This course is also accredited by RoSPA, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, as providing quality and content-approved training.

 

The course is divided into five accessible, interactive modules and also includes an assessment at the end:

  • Introduction and Legislation – what is manual handling? Causes of injury, benefits of controlling risks, manual handling legislation, employer and employee duties and HSE guidance.
  • Identifying the Risks – types of injury, occupations most at risk, the musculoskeletal system, the mechanics of movement and factors that increase the risk of harm.
  • Risk Assessments – what is a risk assessment? Identifying task, load and environmental hazards, deciding who may be harmed, evaluating risks, recording findings and reviewing and updating.
  • Reducing and Controlling the Risks – preparing a manual handling operation, hierarchy of control measures, individual capacity, can manual handling be avoided? Reducing the risk of harm, mechanical aids, changing the task, load and environment, personal protective equipment and reducing the risks from team handling.
  • Manual Handling Techniques – lifting from low levels, carrying, lowering from height, pushing and pulling, team handling and further information.

By the end of this course learners will:

  • Understand and practise the best way to handle loads to maintain a safe working environment.
  • Be able to undertake an effective manual handling risk assessment.
  • Be able to define manual handling and explain the common causes of injury.
  • Understand the legal responsibilities and the duties placed on employers and employees.
  • Be able to recognise manual handling hazards.
  • Understand the types of injury that can be caused by poor manual handling practice.
  • Understand the control measures that can be put in place to reduce the risk of harm.