Manual Handling

What is Manual Handling?

Manual handling means lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, carrying, moving, holding or restraining any object, animal or person.

Manual handling encompasses more than just lifting or carrying an object. Manual handling can include a variety of activities for example pulling a control lever, restraining a farm animal or operating power tools.

Prevention of Manual Handling Injuries.

41% of all occupational injuries at work happen while carrying out a manual handling action/s (http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au).

Common approaches which focused on correct lifting techniques and viewed the weight of an object as the key source of danger, have obviously not been successful.

A holistic approach, which covers a whole range of possible causes of injury during manual handling, would be a much more successful alternative.

Three stages to a safer manual handling process in the workplace

Employers are required to identify, assess and control all the risks arising from workplace manual handling. Particularly, the control of manual handling injury risk through good design of all plant, equipment, containers, the working environment and improved work practices.

Employers are required to involve employees and their OH&S representatives through a consultative process.

Stage 1: Identify risks

Manual handling tasks likely to be a risk to employees should be identified by

employers. This should be carried out in consultation with employees and their health and safety representatives.

This can be carried out through a various methods.

• Check workplace injury records

Workplace injury records should identify where, and in what jobs, manual handling injuries have occurred.

• Talk to employees and their representatives

Employees that actually carry out the job will be aware of many risks and will often

have relevant and high value suggestions.

• Look at the workplace

“Walk the Floor” A simple walk around the workplace, is a good way to identify risks. A Manual Handling Checklist can be useful and will help to identify risks that can be eliminated or reduced.

Stage 2: Assess Risks

Having identified the workplace tasks that present a manual handling risk to employees, these tasks/risks should then be assessed to find the specific cause of the problem.

The following may provide assistance in this process:

• Actions and movements: The movements taken should not necessitate any sudden actions, jerking/yanking or difficult to control movements, nor should they cause discomfort or pain or the requirement to be in an uncomfortable position.

• Workplace and workstation layout: The work area design should be organised so that manual handling tasks should be done at waist level, without too much (or regular) bending, reaching or twisting.

• Working posture and position: Vary work tasks so that the employee is not required to spend a long periods of time holding the same or similar posture / position. The worker should not be required to regularly bend down or twist around to complete their job or task.

• Duration and frequency of manual handling: Injury risk increases, with any increase in the repetition or regularity of the required task, increase in the required pace of work and the lengthening of the duration of time that the task is performed.

• Where the load is and how far it has to be moved: Manual handling injury risk is significantly increased when a load is below mid-thigh height or higher than shoulder level (sees Figure 2). There is also an increased risk of injury if a load is required to be placed with particular accuracy or carried over long distance/distances.

• Weight: As a general rule the heavier the object the greater the risk of a manual handling injury. However, weight alone should not be considered separately from the other factors and risks. A reasonable example is a person would be at a greater risk of injury from carrying bulky, difficult to handle objects, which cannot be carried close to the body, than from handling smaller objects of similar weight further away from the body. Moving an object from an awkward position can also create a greater risk of injury, such as a high shelf, than from moving an object of similar weight positioned in an easy to reach position (see Figure 2).

• Force: Pushing, pulling, holding or restraining can be common workplace tasks that require force, the greater the force, the greater the risk of a manual handling injury. Sometimes a large amount of force is required, however this required force produces little or no movement, for example, when restraining a farm animal, holding up a large power tool or pulling a control lever.

• Characteristics of loads and equipment: Some tasks carry more risk than others. An example of this is bulky or awkwardly shaped items which may be too wide and/or long to hold close to the body. Poorly designed equipment may also increase manual handling risks, for example, a trolley with wheels out of alignment can force the worker to use uncomfortable push and pull movements.

• Work organisation: Lack of sufficient trained staff, unachievable or unrealistic deadlines and limited or insufficient rest breaks significantly increase the risk of injury.

• Work environment: Insufficient lighting, extreme temperatures or climate, confined spaces and rough or slippery ground/floor will increase the risk of injury.

• Skills and experience: Inexperienced, untrained and unskilled employees will be at a greater risk of injury.

• Personal Characteristics: Generally, young workers can be at greater risk than adult workers because they are still developing physically. Older workers, decreased capacity may create a greater risk.

• Clothing: Clothing can increase risks, an example of this would be, loose clothing getting caught on objects or a person may be conscious of soiling or damaging quality clothing if they are not wearing protective covering (eg. dust coat)this may cause them not grasp objects properly, close to the body.

• Special needs: For example, employees returning from a long absence from work or illness may require time to build up their skills and abilities. Someone with an injury or disability may require changes to the job, workstation or equipment.

Stage 3: Control risks

Risk control is the process of elimination or reduction of identified and assessed risk factors. The best way to make manual handling safer is to redesign the task or environment, to eliminate, or control the risk factors.

There are a number of ways to do this:

1. Modify workplace and workstation layout

For example, use an adjustable work platform to reduce bending and reaching.

2. Change the way things are moved

Eliminate unnecessary handling. Ensure that all heavy objects are at waist level.

3. Modify the task

Modify the task by using tools such as levers, hooks or crowbars or by

using team lifting, If required forklifts and cranes.

4. Modify the object

Changing the shape, size and/or weight of bulky objects so that they are easier to hold, or pack

5. Use different actions, movement and forces

The minimisation of body movements and forces, such as bending, lifting, twisting, reaching and holding,

6. Evaluation

Check to ensure that any changes made to the workplace are working successfully. The changes need to be evaluated to make sure they are being used correctly, are not increasing the risk of injury and help to reduce manual handling injuries. A period of trialling improvements is often needed to find a good modification.

Training

Manual Handling Training

Employers must provide adequate training in safe manual handling to

· Employees.

· Supervisors and managers,

· occupational health and safety representatives and

· Staff responsible for work organisation and job and task design should also receive training.

· Any other relevant stakeholder.

The training should encourage understanding of ways to avoid the risks in manual

handling. Adequate training should also be provided in the use of mechanical aids, team lifting and personal protective equipment such as gloves and aprons.

The Law - Some links to further information Occupational Health and Safety Legislation

NSW - Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 No 40

VIC - Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004

SA - http://www.legislation.sa.gov.au/index.aspx

ACT - http://www.legislation.act.gov.au/a/1989-18/default.asp

QLD - Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995

Manual Handling Links and resources:

Safework SA - http://www.safework.sa.gov.au/show_page.jsp?id=2423

Worksafe - http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/WorkSafe/Home/Safety+and+Prevention/Health+And+Safety+Topics/Manual%20Handling

Workcover - http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/Publications/OHS/ManualHandling/Pages/default.aspx

NDS - http://www.nds.org.au/nsw/ohs/manual_handling_resource_1306%255B1%255D.pdf

DEIR QLD - http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace/subjects/manualhandling/index.htm