Top tips on preventing manual handling injuries

13-Jun-2013 - Last updated on 14-Jun-2013 at 15:21 GMT

Related tags Risk

Manual handling is not only about lifting but also carrying and repeated movement of items, such as barrels

How many of your employees regularly move heavy objects such as casks, food supplies, bottle crates or rubbish bags on a daily basis? Typically, you and your staff will think nothing of it, looking at it as just a part of your daily duties, but many manual handling injuries are the result of poor practices being followed over lengthy periods of time. Here are some top tips on minimising injury and ill-health risks.

In some cases, poor manual handling can lead to permanent disability and physical impairment – so pay attention, the stakes are high.

The Law
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 apply to all manual handling activities carried by employees whilst at work. As an employer, it’s your responsibility to undertake a risk assessment of all manual handling activities and determine a hierarchy of risk control in order to minimise injury and ill-health risks to your staff. Below are our top tips for ensuring safety at your business.

Why is manual handling an issue under H&S law?
Manual handling is not only about lifting but also lowering items, pushing items, pulling items, carrying items and repeated movement of items. Back injury is not the only type of injury from manual handling. Injuries are reported concerning:

Hands
Feet
Arms
Legs
Lacerations
Fractures

Clearly costs to business due to injury are huge, comprising sick pay, the cost of loss of skilled employee, replacement/temporary staff, civil claims, criminal prosecution and increased insurance premiums.

Figures from the HSE report that musculo-skeletal disorder cases in 2011/12 represented 439,000 out of a total 1,073 000 reported work-related illnesses. Costs for manual handling injuries have been estimated at £6bn in lost production.

What does the law require regarding manual handling?
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 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 can’t be avoided

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

What are the rules for good manual handling?
Remember the following for safe manual handling:

Lift only within your capability
Two people are better than one
Bend your knees and keep your back straight
Use your thighs
Get a good grip
Rest the load mid-way if possible
Frequent lifting of smaller weights is better than a one-off lift of a heavy load
Hold the heaviest part of the load closest to the body

Top tips for manual handling
Review all manual handling tasks and mechanise whatever you can and…

Avoid manual handling tasks wherever possible - remember that manual handling covers pushing and pulling as well as lifting
Remember there is no legal maximum weight that people can lift – it depends on their capability
Complete Risk Assessments for all manual handling tasks
Share information with employees and others – put weight loads on boxes and packages
Train employees in good manual handling practices
Team lifting is an acceptable way of organising lifting but it does need to have proper planning
Where mechanical aids are used ensure that they are regularly maintained and serviced and have any statutory inspections e.g. lifting aids/hoists.

Pat Perry is executive chairman at health and safety consultants Perry Scott Nash