Manual Handling

Manual handling, the transporting or supporting of loads by bodily force, causes more than a third of all over-three-day injuries reported. The amount of working days lost and the resultant costs are a major drain on the economy.

It is not always possible to avoid manual handling altogether, but employers should carry out risk assessments and try to reduce the danger of injury as far as possible. Some options to consider are:

• Provide training in load assessment and handling technique;
• Reduce the size, weight or amount of material to be moved as much as possible and make sure that the shape of items to be moved does not make the job more difficult;
• Reduce the distances that materials have to be moved as much as possible;
• Provide mechanical assistance, using hoists, trolleys or even fork lift trucks, not forgetting to provide training in their use.