Manual Handling

One of the most significant causes of injury in the workplace is attributable to lifting and moving loads. The cost to British industry from people being off work due to back trouble is higher than any other occupational health illness. In addition, civil litigation with regard to manual handling injuries is causing concern in the insurance industry.

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, require employers to:

• Carry out an assessment of the risks of manual handling injury.
• Eliminate any risks, as far as is reasonably practicable.
• When risks cannot be eliminated, put in place adequate control measures to reduce the risk.
• Train members of staff who are likely to carry out manual handling operations

Manual handling assessment involves the following:

• Looking critically at the manual handling task that is being undertaken.
• Talking to the people involved in the manual handling operation.
• Assessing the potential for injury.
• Assessing the risk of injury, by considering the following:
  - The load that is being moved
  - The environment where the task is taking place
  - The task that is being done
  - The capability of the individual
• Ascertaining whether or not the task can be automated.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of other control measures.

We believe that manual handling injuries CAN be eliminated completely. However, to do so requires a thorough manual handling risk assessment, an evaluation of the best practicable solutions and an assessment of the cost/benefit of these solutions.

Our manual handling risk assessment system has been designed in consultation with specialists in the physiotherapy profession and is based on modern neuromuscular lifting techniques.

If you would like further details of manual handling assessments, please contact us.