Manual handling is simply an act whereby somebody lifts, moves or transports a load by hand or by use of another part of the body. This act can be applicable to goods, tools or materials between points A to B. Holding, lifting, moving, carrying, pulling, pushing etc., can all be considered manual handling.
Manual handling can cause injuries! Accidents and injuries resulting from manual handling in the workplace are widespread across all sectors of UK industry. The public service union UNISON is one of the largest UK unions with over 1.4 million members and in 2023 they reported that one in three workplace accidents were caused by manual handling, with 300,000 people in the UK suffering from back pain due to accidents associated with manual handling alone. Common injuries are reported under the terms:
- Back, neck and spine injuries
- Musculoskeletal disorders
- Strains and sprains
- Hernias
- Injuries to the hands, feet, ankles and wrists
Action Handling provide many solutions for problems that can occur as being associated with manual handling processes. We are often contacted by both employers and employees alike who ask us to advise and recommend material handling equipment and ways in which potential risks can be addressed.
To give you a good example, we were recently requested to look at simple process that occurs throughout the day at one of our regular customers. This company has a production line with multiple staff members having to place large plastic containers in situ to facilitate a component decanting process and then also to remove the containers to another part of the building when full. Staff were complaining that the containers were far too heavy to move manually and that resulting injuries were occurring on a regular basis.
The containers measure 800mm x 600mm x 500mm and have a 60kg load capacity which is far beyond the suggested guidelines for manual handling weights of 25kg for a man and 16kg for women as recommended by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Container fixed onto a wooden pallet
Container fixed onto a plastic pallet
Our representative visited the site and suggested fixing the containers onto either timber or plastic pallets. The complete load could then be easily moved by pallet truck or high lift work positioners to any given point. A combination of timber and wooden pallets was subsequently ordered for two different process tasks. We were able to bolt the containers securely onto the pallets to provide a secure lifting method and have now supplied over 100 units of each type, with the customer using existing pallet trucks and high lifters to replace the previous manual handling method. The outcome has been reported as zero injuries in the last 6 month period since implementation of the new system.
The manual handling processes that are operated within workplace settings needs careful planning and risk assessing. We often rely on employees to carry out tasks that can easily be managed in a different way and by using relatively inexpensive equipment. The HSE offer good help with their MAC tool and this will help to give you information that will allow you to make informed judgements on how to assess your manual handling requirements.
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