Manual handling

Your legal responsibility

As an employer, you have a duty to prevent your employees from being injured by unsafe manual handling tasks at work. Manual handling refers to any activity that involves moving or supporting a load using physical effort. This can include actions such as lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, carrying, or shifting items. The load may be anything from an object to a person or even an animal.

Which laws apply?

• The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
• Manual Handling Operations Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1992.

The health impact of manual handling

Manual handling injuries can occur anywhere at work. Heavy manual labour, awkward postures, manual materials handling and previous or existing injuries can all lead to aches and pains in the:

• Back
• Upper limbs — neck, shoulder and arms
• Lower limbs — hips, knees, ankles and feet

These injuries can be classified as musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

The Health and Safety Executives (HSE, and HSENI in Northern Ireland) consider preventing and controlling MSDs a priority.

It's hard to prevent all MSDs, but you should still encourage employees to report symptoms early and arrange treatment for anyone who gets injured.

Managing the risk of MSD

When you perform a risk assessment, be aware of any manual handling activities of your employees. You should consult and involve them as much as possible during your risk assessment as they can possibly offer practical solutions to controlling risks.

Avoiding manual handling

You should first check whether you can use other methods instead of manual handling. For example, you could use automation, particularly for new processes. Alternatively, consider using handling aids, such as:

• A conveyor
• A pallet truck
• An electric or a hand-powered hoist
• A lift truck

However, beware of new hazards caused by using machines.

Assessing and reducing the risk of injury

If you can't avoid manual handling, then you should assess whether you can make the employees' activities easier and less risky.

You can use The Manual Handling Assessment Charts (MAC) tool to identify manual handling tasks in your workplace that present a high risk. The tool highlights which handling methods are safest and which are most hazardous, helping you evaluate current practices and take steps to reduce the risks.

Training

Training should be specific to the type of work being done and include:

• the risk factors associated with manual handling and how injuries can occur
• how to use mechanical aids safely and effectively
• safe manual handling practices, including correct lifting and carrying techniques
• systems of work that apply to the worker's specific tasks and environment
• practical sessions that allow the trainer to spot and correct any unsafe techniques

All training on safe handling techniques should be tailored to the particular tasks carried out by workers.

• You may need to carry out individual risk assessments for employees with a disability in order to comply with the requirements of the Equality Act (or in Northern Ireland, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 & Disability Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 2006) .

The important thing in all assessments is to identify all significant risks of injury and find practical improvements.