Manual Handling Training
Manual Handling Handbook
Why do we do manual handling training?
● We don’t want you to hurt yourself
● It is financially prudent to do so
● We have to
Safe Manual Handling techniques will not make you stronger or able to life greater
weights – they are to help you do your day-to-day jobs without hurting yourself. Two
out of every five workplace injuries reported to the HSE are due to manual handling.
Injuries range from cuts and bruises up to skeletal damage and even bone
breakages.
The HSE has calculated that over 2 million sick-days
are taken because of back pain – two thirds of which
could have been avoided through the use of safe
manual handling techniques, both at work and at
home.
Legally speaking, your employer also has to train you
in manual handling techniques – we have an
obligation under the Manual Handling Operations
Regulations 1992, to provide you with this training, and to ensure safe systems of
working are in place, and the correct equipment is available. However, as
employees, you also have obligations under these regulations:
● You must follow safe systems of working
● You must make proper use of manual handling equipment provided
● You must co-operate with your employer on health and safety matters
● Inform your employer of hazards you have identified
● Make sure your activities pose no risk to others
What is manual handling?
Manual handling can be described as the lifting, carrying, holding or pushing and
pulling of any discrete object or lad. This description covers a wide range of
activities – not all of which occur in the workplace. We undertake
manual handling training tasks at home too and safe manual
handling techniques apply equally everywhere.
The load doesn’t have to be very large of heavy – if you have to
lift something to, or lower something from a high shelf, for
example, you will be stretching
quite a bit, and the object
doesn’t have to be very big to
cause a problem!
Manual Handling Training
Injuries can occur in several ways:
heavy work awkward postures
existing injury or condition repeated work
There are three steps we should take to reduce the risk of manual handling injury.
1. AVOID
Does the object have to be moved? Can the task be completed without the
object moving? Can it be moved later, when there are more people to help?
2. ASSESS
Assess the task carefully, considering the:
● load itself (is it heavy or awkward to hold),
● task (the movement you need to undertake with the load)
● environment (the area you will be moving in)
3. REDUCE
Seek to reduce the risks, perhaps by using lifting equipment, or enlisting the aid
of a colleague to move the item with you.
TECHNIQUES
Always THINK and assess before commencing a manual handling operation, ask
yourself some of these questions:
● Can I avoid the need to lift, push, pull, carry or lower the load?
● Are there workplace precautions and a safe system already agreed?
● Can I use a handling aid and protective equipment?
● Do I need help from someone?
● Is there an easier and safer way of handling the load?
● What is the weight and centre of gravity of the load?
Manual Handling Training
● What are the contents of the load, will they shift or are they harmful?
● Are there handles I can use to gain a good grip?
● What route will I take and is it clear?
Get the POSTURE correct
At the start of a lifting operation try and relax the body
and muscles before handling and try to avoid:
● Deep stooping postures with the feet parallel and
the back bent – this will apply big forces on the low
back and may overstretch muscles putting them at
risk
● Squatting right down so that your legs are
completely flexed – you will have to use a lot of
effort to lift your body and the load and maintain a
good balanced posture
Do try to:
● Grip the load securely or use the handles
● Raise the head as you lift to lock the back in an
upright posture
● Put some smooth movement and momentum into operation
Adopt a STABLE position
● A good stable posture is essential to protect your balance and yourself from
risk of injury.
● Feet should be hip width apart with one foot slightly in front of the other, not
parallel.
● This will provide a stable base to lift from safely.
● Ensure that clothing is not too tight and restricts free flowing movement.
Keep the load CLOSE to the
body
At the point of lifting and while carrying the load, keep it close and tight into the
body, with the heaviest side closest to the body. This will reduce the risk of injury
from the load exerting forces on the back and muscles.
Manual Handling Training
Avoid flexing the back once the load has been lifted. This could be as a result of
the load being too heavy and a result of a wrong assessment. This flexing action
places harmful forces on the structure of the back and muscles.
Avoid twisting while lifting, lowering, pushing and pulling the load at any height.
Twisting places shearing forces on the structure of the back and can overload
muscles increasing the risk of injury.
Attempt to keep the
shoulders and trunk
of the body parallel
with the pelvis and
hips, remembering
this will reduce the
risk of injury.
Attempt to use your
feed to change
direction when lifting
and lowering and
placing the load in its
resting place.
Don’t lift or handle
more than you can
manage
Manual Handling Training
As part of your assessment you will know not to lift, lower,
push or pull a load you cannot manage. To achieve an
improved grip on the load and get the load close enough,
try re-positioning it to a better position.
This can be done by lifting it onto its edge or breaking the
operation into a series of smaller movements to get it into a
good position to move.
Getting help is often a good solution but this has risks as
well.
● The operation has been talked through with your
partner(s)
● You are both aware that the weight of the load may
not be shared evenly
● One person is in charge of the lift and coordinates the operation
● Both workers lift together by counting down ‘3-2-1 lift’
● The area is clear as one worker may be walking backwards
● You are aware that twisting of the low back can occur if both workers are
facing the same direction
Handling aids assist risk reduction and can include pallet trucks, barrows, trolleys,
cages, skates and sack trucks.
To make it easier to push or pull, ensure:
● That your feet are well away from the load
● That you walk no faster than a reasonable walking speed, this will stop you
from becoming tired.
Manual Handling Training
Moving a load over soft or uneven
surfaces will require higher force. On an
uneven surface, the force needed to start
the load moving could increase to 10% of
the load weight. The use of larger wheels
can offset this value, however soft ground
may increase the required force.
For example a weight of 400kg would
require a force of 40kg, which would need two or more persons to move safely.
Manual Handling Training
There is no such thing as a safe weight limit for manual handling – it depends on the
person, the shape of the load and environmental factors etc. However, the table
above gives a rough guide to what is reasonable under normal conditions. NOTE:
The larger figure is for an easily-held object close to the body – the smaller figure is
for an awkward item or if the item is held away from the body. The weights also vary
according to what height the lift will begin and end at – the lowest figure found at the
heights used during the lift is the guideline comfortable lifting limit but everybody will
be different.
Once again, reading this handbook won’t make you stronger or able to lift heavier
weights! However, if you follow the principles described, you will significantly reduce
your risk of manual handling injuries – at work, and at home. Keep this document
safe somewhere, and refer to it if you are unsure. Above all, don’t be afraid to ask
for help, if you think you need it – nobody will think the worse of you if you do.
