WorkStreams Newsletter

Manual Handling in the Workplace

Manual handling is the highest cause of injuries in workplaces, the greatest risk exposure being that of inexperienced workers.

Manual handling is defined as any activity requiring the use of force exerted by a person to lift, lower, push, pull, carry or otherwise move, hold or restrain. Other activities, which define manual handling, include that of repetitive and/or forceful movements and any activity where the person must maintain constrained or awkward postures.

Good posture and lifting techniques can help reduce the risk of manual handling injuries. In addition, changes to workplace design also acts as an effective approach for the prevention of manual handling injuries.

Risk factors involved in manual handling may include the following:

Size, shape and weight of objects (if carried or held) and forces required (if pushed, pulled or restrained);
Sudden unexpected or jarring movements;
Awkward movements such as twisting, bending, over reaching;
Static postures;
Personal factors, such as age, physical stature and any disabilities the person may have.

The above risk factors can be influenced by the duration and repetitive nature of the tasks, design and layout of work environment, and the degree of familiarity with the task and associated training.

To reduce or eliminate the risk factors of manual handling, the following suggestions may be worth considering:

Change the task - can the task be carried out in a different way?
Change the object - can the object be reduced to a more manageable size?
Change the work space - i.e. Use of ergonomic furniture; arranging work benches at optimum heights
Use mechanical aids - i.e. Cranes, forklifts, conveyor belts
Change the nature of the work - i.e. Rotate duties, regular rest breaks
Offer training to inexperienced workers.

The Manual Handling Regulations are centred on these four critical steps:

   1. Design;
   2. Consultation;
   3. Assessment; and,
   4. Control and Training.

Design: The Occupational Health and Safety (Manual Handling Regulations) requires that an employer takes all practicable steps to ensure that all manual handling operations, equipment, material and work practices are designed to be "safe and without risk to the health and safety of employees."

Consultation: As indicated throughout this manual, there is no point in establishing safety programs that do not actively involve workers. This Code of Practice states that "consultation between the designated health and safety representatives and management representatives must take place during the risk assessment and risk control stage."

Assessment: The Manual Handling Regulations require that "when assessing the risk of manual handling operations, factors such as posture, workplace layout and frequency of the handling be taken into account." Tasks, which are likely to be a risk, are identified and assessed in consultation with the health and safety representatives.

Control and Training: To eliminate the risk of injuries in the workplace requires a paradigm shift. Safety has to be viewed as an investment. As a result of this changes to the workplace have to occur in a realistic, practical and economical way, without short cuts and without affecting production levels.

For this reason, the control of manual handling tasks must be seen as a long-term objective and within the global vision of the company's directions. There is little point in redesigning the process before a new conveyer or a new machine is installed. Common sense must prevail at all times (Health and Safety Authorities should be able to understand this). However, in theory, this is the process to be applied if the assessment results show some level of risk:

a) Redesign: If there is a risk, then do something about it. Change the height or the shape, change the location, lower the height or raise it to prevent bending, stooping etc... and to reduce the risk of injury.
b) Use mechanical aids: If your employees have experienced strains and sprains, then you need to remember that it is cheaper to hire or purchase mechanical aids than it is to pay for increased premiums. Trolleys, pulley systems, hoists and spring-loaded height-adjustable stillages are good examples of relatively affordable control measures. In accordance with the Regulations, the health and safety representatives have to be involved in the application of risk control activities.
c) Training: It is widely accepted that often employees are not aware of manual handling techniques that can minimise the risk of manual handling injuries. For this reason, we strongly encourage employers to adequately train their employees. Remember that you do not need to pay a fortune for training sessions. Please do not fall into the "specialist knowledge" trap. There are excellent videos and booklets available that can show your workers how to minimise risk and prevent expensive injuries. Why don't you discuss this with the Safety Committee, a safety representative, or a leading member of your team and encourage them to research the subject and motivate others. You could organise a "Manual Handling Week", ask for employee input and suggestions, show a lunch time video and/or organise a competition. Remember that this is a money saving strategy!

How will you know if one of the tasks performed by your employees are dangerous to their health and safety? It is not easy to answer to this question because there are so many factors upon which need to be considered.

If your workplace is small enough, you may rely on some "good old common sense" and on your safety representative. Try to do the task yourself or ask the operator. Some questions that may be asked are:
   1. Do you need to raise your arms so high to complete this task?
   2. Why do you bend so far down?
   3. Is the lifting always so frequent or can you get help from Joe, over there?
   4. Can you do this task without too much physical fatigue?

There are times when measuring a manual handling force is not so straightforward. For example, workers employed in abattoirs are often required to restrain live animals. In cases like this, there is a need to calculate the level of force required. One easy solution is using spring balances, to get the approximate force exerted. Lowering weights can be tricky as well, especially if the incorrect techniques are followed, as these will greatly add to the loading factor. In other words, using the wrong lowering method will increase the loading on the various muscle groups and maximises the risk of low back injury.

Where possible, it is advisable to redesign the process and to eliminate it at the source. There are times though when this is not possible. For example, workers employed in the air conditioning industry are often required to shift and move heavy ducting by working in awkward positions and postures. This is a typical case where creativity and co-operation amongst workers can mean the difference between safety and accidents. In this case training is particularly vital.

Often, the handling of heavy, slippery and awkwardly shaped material that is lifted causes manual handling injuries. In these instances, if the process cannot be redesigned then it is advisable to consider mechanical lifting devices. In many cases, it is possible to reduce the risk of manual handling without expensive control measures or the need to redesign the work place. Following consultation with your safety representatives, you can use task rotation, eliminate double or triple handling by redesigning the work-flow, improve your working environment, eliminate clutter, tripping hazards etc...

WorkStreams' team of qualified Occupational Therapists have the expertise to provide manual handling training for both employees and employers. Such training is beneficial for educating individuals on appropriate posture/lifting techniques, which in turn can help reduce the risk of manual handling injuries.

WorkStreams' Occupational Therapists also have the expertise to conduct workplace assessments and provide recommendation to modify an individuals' workstation environment to further assist with the prevention of manual handling injuries.

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