Manual Handling

Manual handling hazards and injuries

Manual handling if defined as ‘the movement of a load by human effort alone’. Back injuries due to lifting heavy loads are very common.

Typical Hazards of manual handling include:

• lifting a load which is too heavy or too cumbersome resulting in back injury
• poor posture during lifting or poor lifting technique resulting in back injury
• dropping a load, resulting in foot injury
• lifting sharp edged or hot loads resulting in hand injuries

Typical Injuries caused by Manual Handling

• muscular sprains and strains
• back injuries
• trapped nerve
• hernia
• Work related upper limb disorders (WRULD)

Manual Handling & Risk Assessments

The Manual Handling Operation Regulations 1992 state a clear hierarchy of measures that should be considered when carrying out a risk assessment on a manual handling operation. The regulations specify four main factors that must be taken into account when making an assessment, these are:

• Task – what has to be lifted, how many people are required, frequency
• Load – is it too heavy, is it bulky or unwieldy, are the contents likely to move, is the object sharp, hot or cold
• Working Environment – where is the manual handling operation to take place, space constraints, environmental issues i.e. lighting, ventilation etc.
• Individual – age, gender, state of health

The assessment should be reviewed should circumstances change.