safe manual handling in the workplace
TRANSCRIPT
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
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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
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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