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Manual Handling
Manual Handling is a physical activity that takes place in every workplace, and in some cases the activity does not pose problem. However it can be a potential workplace hazard when an employee is required to handled very heavy loads, which could result in a back injury. The type of manual handling activity that needs to be assessed is defined in Regulation 68 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work, (General Application) Regulations 2007:
“ Manual Handling involves any transporting or supporting of any load by one or more employees, and includes lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving a load, which by reason of its characteristics or unfavorable ergonomic conditions, involves risk, particularly of back injury, to employees.”
FREQUENTLY ASKED MANUAL HANDLING QUESTIONS
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The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work, (General Applications) Regulations 2007, Chapter 4 of Part 2, outline the requirements that must be adhered to in relation to manual handling. The key requirements include:
- Carrying out a manual handling risk assessment of existing manual handling tasks before making an informed decision on what manual handling tasks need to be avoided or reduced.
- Organising tasks to allow the use of mechanical or other means to avoid or reduce the need for the manual handling of loads by employees in the workplace. The hazards can be avoided or reduced through the introduction of appropriate organisational measures for example improved layout of a work area to reduce unnecessary long carrying distances; or the use of appropriate means, in particular mechanical equipment
- Providing instruction and training to relevant staff.
Many of the problems that cause back pain are the result of injury and damage to a disc. Bending over results in pressure on the discs, and may also cause a disc to bulge backward towards the spine. Twisting and bending together put the greatest stress on the spine, especially on the discs, and are examples of work conditions that increase the risk of back injury.
Identify any hazards that you expect and assess the risk from them. A general assessment will stand you in good stead for the majority of your work. When you do take work to a new site, cover any new or different hazards with a specific assessment.
Yes. Every employee has a legal responsibility to cooperate with their employer’s efforts to improve health and safety, for example they must wear personal protective equipment if it is provided.) Perhaps most importantly they must be vigilant for each other.
Yes, we offer online and in person manual handling training sessions by one of our FETAC level 6 certified manual handling instructors.
These sessions book up quickly, it is advised to book in advance, contact us today for a quote and availability.