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Manual Handling- The Whole Story!

For Responsible Managers and Assessors

Course Notes

Mark Mallen Group Health and Safety Manager July 2005

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Course Content 1 What is Manual Handling? 2 What’s the Problem?

Some Statistics Types of Injuries How we can get Hurt? 3 Legal Framework

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 • Employers’ Duties • Employees’ Duties Additional Legislation

4 How to Comply?

General Principals Manual Handling Assessment Record Company Procedures Practical Assessment The Ergonomic Approach!

Complete Practical Assessment The Benefits

What Next?

5 Manual Handling Technique

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What is Manual Handling?

Lifting Moving Carrying Pushing Pulling

Legal Definition: “Any transporting or supporting of a load (including the lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving thereof) by hand or by bodily force”

- Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992

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What’s the Problem? Some Statistics • More than a third of plus 3-day injuries arise from manual handling! • On average, each injury results in 20 days off work! • Many injuries build up over a period of time, rather than being caused by a single accident! • Cumulative injuries, through repetitive handling, can lead to physical impairment or permanent

disability! • These injuries occur in all workplaces!

Kinds of accident causing injury

Trips19%

Falls7%Other13%

Machinery5%

Struck by20%

Manual Handling

36%

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Types of injury caused by handling accidents 1996/1997

Other 3%

Sprain/Strain 74%

Contusion 6%

Laceration 9%

Fracture 3%Superficial

5%

Sites of injuries caused by handling 1996/1997

Back 49%Other 3%

Rest of Torso 7%

Lower Limb 8%

Hand/Wrist 9% Arm 10%

Finger/Thumb 14%

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Types of Injuries Musculoskeletal • Strains and Sprains

Muscles, Ligaments and Joints can be injured by over exertion, accidents, and repetitive actions!

• Fractures

Slipping, Falling or Dropping heavy loads may break Lower Limbs, Feet, Toes, Hands, and Fingers!

• Prolapsed (Slipped) Disc

Local bending of the spine may damage the backs’ ‘shock absorbers’, result resulting in inflammation!

Other Injuries • Wounds

Handling sharp, rough surfaces may cut skin!

• Hernia The strain of lifting can cause ruptures in the abdominal wall!

• Burns Caused by the inappropriate handling of hot or cold objects or corrosive chemicals!

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How We Can Get Hurt! • Lifting

Lifting loads may result in spinal injuries, such as prolapsed discs. Lifting heavy loads, using poor posture and abnormal positions of the body, such as bending and twisting, may also cause hernias and strains.

• Carrying

Carrying may cause injury in the same way as lifting loads, particularly if the load is held away from the body, which causes an extra strain on muscles. If held for some time, this will increase the level of fatigue on the body. Repetitive strain injuries can occur if the task involves carrying a load a number of times. The nature of the load may also give rise to injury i.e. hot, sharp, or corrosive.

• Pushing and Pulling

This can cause musculoskeletal injury due to the combined stresses put on the spinal arrangements by the use of the abdominal and back muscles. The load may require an erratic or violent movement that can result in a strain.

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Additional Factors • The Load

Weight Obviously, the weight of an object can cause injury. Appendix I of the Guidance to the Manual Handling Operations Regulations shows GUIDELINE weights. The figures given are for infrequent operations – 30 per hour. Operations of once or twice per minute, reduce by 30% Operations of five to eight times per minute, reduce by 50% Operations of over twelve times per minute, reduce by 80%

Manual Handling Weights

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Additional Factors • The Load

Associated Hazards The weight of the load may not be the only risk factor. Other factors associated with the load may be: • Bulky • Unwieldy • Difficult to grasp • Unstable • Sharp Edges • Hot • Cold • Wet • Oily

Additional Factors • The Workplace

The workplace itself may provide increased risk of injury, as various hazards may be present, such as: • Floor surfaces • Variations in floor levels • Cramped work area • Lighting • Untidy work area • Hold • Cold • Humid

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• Individual Capacity

The guidelines are intended to give reasonable protection to nearly all men and between half and two thirds of women. However, people’s capacities vary greatly, due to age, sex, and physical build. Pregnancy can increase the risk, due to posture problems and hormonal effects on the body.

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Legal Background Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992

General Principles • Establish if a manual handling risk exists. • Avoidance of manual handling. • Assessment of risk • Reduce the risk of injury, by an ergonomic approach • Provide Information, Instruction, and Training!

Employers’ Duties Each Employer shall: • So far as is reasonably practicable, avoid the need for employees to undertake manual

handling operations, which involve a risk of injury.

Where Manual Handling Operations, which pose a risk of injury, cannot be avoided: • Make suitable and sufficient assessment of all such operations. • Take appropriate steps to reduce the risk of injury to the lowest level reasonably practicable. • Provide information on the weight and the centre of gravity of loads. • Regularly review assessments.

Employees’ Duties Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, Regulation 5 ‘Each employee while at work shall make full and proper use of any system of work provided for his use by his employer in compliance with regulation 4(1)(b)(ii) of these Regulations. • Use the controls provided • Co-operate with the employer on health and safety matters! • Take care not to put themselves or others at risk!

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Additional Legislation Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 Regulation 12 requires employees to make use of appropriate equipment provided for them, in accordance with the training and the instructions their employer has given them. Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 Any mechanical equipment provided is subject to the above. Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 These regulations are applicable to the working environment in which the manual handling operations are conducted. Construction (Health, Safety, and Welfare) Regulations 1996 These regulations are applicable to the working environment in which the manual handling operations are conducted.

Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 Any protective equipment provided to protect against hazards associated with the load or workplace are subject to these regulations.

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How to Comply? General Principles The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 require the following approach to manage risk: • Evaluate the task, to establish if a manual handling risk exists. • Avoidance of manual handling, if possible • Assessment of Risk • Reduce the risk of injury, by an ergonomic approach • Provide Information, Instruction, and Training!

Wherever possible (so far as is reasonably practicable) employers should attempt to avoid the need for manual handling altogether, which is the most effective way of eliminating the risk. No Hazard - No Risk! This can be achieved by mechanisation, i.e.: • Hoists • Fork Lift Trucks • Conveyors

How to Comply? If we cannot eliminate manual handling, by automation or mechanisation, we must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk and deploy controls to reduce the risk of injury to operatives. Manual Handling Assessment Record The company has procedures and an assessment pro-forma especially designed to enable you to conduct an assessment.

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How to Comply? The Ergonomic Approach If we cannot eliminate the need for manual handling by elimination – automation / mechanisation, the regulations require us to reduce the risk of injury by taking the ergonomic approach. ‘Fitting the job to the person, rather than the person to the job!’ Mechanical Assistance

Suction Pads, Hoists, Lifting Cradles

Adapting the Task

Improve workplace layout Reduce the amount of twisting and stooping Avoid the need to lift from floor level, or above shoulder height Reduce carrying distances Avoid repetitive handling Job rotation Team handling Adequate rest periods Adapting the Load Reduce the weight Make it easier to hold Provider appropriate containers for liquid loads Make it less damaging to hold Adapt the Working Environment

Remove obstructions Improve the flooring Avoid steps and steep ramps Prevent extremes of hot and cold Provide adequate lighting House keeping regime The Individual Take care of those with physical weakness Look after pregnant workers Provide information on the load Provide training in good handling technique

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The Benefits The Individual Makes work easier! Less tiring! Less likely to sustain injury! Improve your productivity! The Company Reduces accidents! Ensures legal compliance! Reduces costs! Improves productivity! By adopting an ergonomic approach to our manual handling solutions, risk of injury can be reduced! Training in correct lifting technique is only part of the solution!

What Next? • Conduct assessments • Use people doing the job as assessors • Set up ‘assessment teams’ • No need to assess each employee • Can apply to several employees and workplaces • If work and environment is similar • Use the assessments • Pinpoint worst features of task • Improve these first!

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Handling Technique Stop and Think! • Plan the route • Remove obstructions • Consider where the load is to be placed • Use handling aids • Use PPE • Consider breaks to rest and change grip • Make the load does not shift • Break the load down, if possible • If using a team lift, ensure one member of the team controls the lift Place the feet, apart, giving a stable base Adopt a good position BEFORE lifting the load • Bend the knees • Lower the body, hands at near waist level • Keep shoulders level and facing the same direction as the hips

Get a firm grip • Hook fingers under the load, if possible • If necessary, lean forward over the load for improved grip • Keep the arms within the boundary formed by the legs Now Lift! • Raise the body by straightening the knees (straight Back) • Smooth movements, do not jerk or twist • Keep the load close to the body • Keep elbows in • Put load down, before adjusting grip • Allow muscles to rest, before continuing

Put the load down • Adjust its position • Ensure load is secure

Do not lift loads beyond your physical capability!