Manual Handling

1
Manual Handling

• At the end of the course employees will
• be aware of manual handling as an important
  occupational health and safety issue
• know the risk factors of manual handling
  operations that can lead to injury

2
Session 1Manual Handling Awareness

• By the end of the session the trainees should be
  aware of
• activities which involve manual handling
• the definition of manual handling the types of
  injuries caused by manual handling
• the duties of the employer and employee with
  regard to manual handling.

3
Types of Injuries Caused by Manual Handling

• Fractures to the limbs, ribs or spine caused by
  accidents such as slips, falls and dropped
  objects.
• Torn or over-stretched muscles, ligaments and
  tendons due to unnatural or sudden movement.
  These are the most common types of injuries.
• Injuries to the discs in between the spinal
  vertebrae - due to bending or bending and
  twisting of the spine - can lead to disc damage
  and eventual rupture.

4
Risk Factors In Manual Handling

• movements, posture and layout
• the task and object
• the work environment
• individual factors.

5
We need to embrace the following principles

• Prevent and/or reduce the occurrence and
  severity of manual handling injuries
• Design work as far as possible to involve safe
  manual handling activities
• Identify manual handling risks
• Assess manual handling risks
• Control manual handling risks.

6
Duties of Employers and Employees

• Duties of employers
• Plant, equipment and containers used in the
  workplace are designed, constructed and
  maintained to be safely handled and work and work
  practices are designed to encourage safe manual
  handling
• The work environment is designed to allow safe
  manual handling
• Manual handling which is likely to be a risk to
  occupational health and safety is examined and
  assessed
• The risks associated with manual handling are
  controlled.

7
Duties of Employers and Employees
Duties of employees "where an employee has
received appropriate training in safe manual
handling techniques, the employee shall use those
techniques where possible." "where an employee
has received appropriate training in the correct
use of mechanical aids, personal protective
equipment or team lifting procedures, the
employee shall use that training where possible."
8
Training Exercise
9
Session 2Work Design and Assessment

• By the end of this session trainees should be
  familiar with
• the broad approach for dealing with manual
  handling hazards
• the manual handling policy of the company and
  the part the trainee plays in this policy
• the risk factors in manual handling
• the basis of assessing manual handling risks.

10
The Broad Approach to Manual Handling

• work is designed as far as possible to involve
  safe manual handling activities
• manual handling risks are identified manual
  handling risks are assessed
• manual handling risks are controlled.
• Work should be designed in such a way that manual
  handling is eliminated through automating a
  process. If the design of work has not eliminated
  then the risks will need to be assessed in order
  to identify means of controlling them.

11
Risk Assessment

• The risk assessment process includes
• analysing the level of risk,
• considering those in danger,
• evaluating whether manual handling risks are
  adequately controlled

12
Practical Exercise
Safe Work Method Statement
13
Session 3Controlling Risks

• By the end of this session trainees will be
  familiar with
• the benefits of adopting an ergonomic approach
• the risk control method
• the practical means of controlling manual
  handling risks.

14
The Ergonomic Approach

• The ergonomic approach of reducing the risk of
  injury is the process of "fitting the job to the
  person, rather than the person to the job".
• Some common examples,
• placing heavy objects in a station wagon or
  utility truck with a tailgate instead of lifting
  the objects into and out of a car boot,
• breaking loads into smaller weight and size
  packages to load into the car boot.

15
Practical ergonomic methods for reducing risk
using mechanical assistance with handling
aids optimising the job layout by providing
adjustable working heights and improving work
routines reducing the weight, making it easier
to grasp with handholds, providing a container
for liquid loads improving the floor condition,
thermal conditions and lighting, avoiding
draughts team handling,
16
Benefits of an Ergonomic Approach

• the company- by ensuring legal
  compliance,reducing accidents, reducing claims
  for compensation and improving occupational
  health and safety
• the individual - because the approach makes the
  handling work easier, less tiring and less likely
  to cause injury, thus improving productivity.

17
Practical Lifting Exercise