Manual Handling

the transporting or supporting of loads by hand or by bodily force.

Approximately one third of all injuries reported to the enforcing authorities are due to incorrect manual handling. Over £100million a year is lost due to injuries at work associated with incorrect manual handling. A major contributor factor is the lack of proper training, supervision, information and instruction.

Manual handling assessment

Good handling technique is obviously important when trying to avoid injury. Manual handling is not just about moving heavy goods. The weights involved can be as little as 5kg but other factors such as frequency of handling and type of load are contributing factors. Any manual handling operation must be assessed, and key issues are how often a load is moved and whether it has to be moved a long distance or up and down stairs.

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 state:

Each employer shall—

(a) so far as is reasonably practicable, avoid the need for his employees to undertake any manual handling operations at work which involve a risk of their being injured; or

(b) where it is not reasonably practicable to avoid the need for his employees to undertake any manual handling operations at work which involve a risk of their being injured—

(i) make a suitable and sufficient assessment of all such manual handling operations to be undertaken by them..

(ii) take appropriate steps to reduce the risk of injury to those employees arising out of their undertaking any such manual handling operations to the lowest level reasonably practicable, and

(iii) take appropriate steps to provide any of those employees who are undertaking any such manual handling operations with general indications and, where it is reasonably practicable to do so, precise information on—

(aa) the weight of each load, and

Niche Lifts can help because we supply a range of service and goods lifts that will reduce the likelihood of your employees becoming injured through the lifting or moving of heavy items. Our range covers a weight range of 5 to 1000 kilograms, so we have a lift to suit most applications. Go to our goods lift or service lift pages to learn more.