Manual Handling

* Health and Safety at Work etc. Act, 1974

Duties of employers: 'the general duty of imposed on all employers is to

ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at
work of all their employees'.

Duties of employees: All employees must take reasonable care for the
health and safety of themselves and of other persons who may be
affected by what they do or fail to do at work – their acts and omissions.
This may include:

- their willingness to receive training,

- to work safely,
- to use equipment
- to exercise the right to refuse to carry out a task if there is no "safe
system of work in place".

Employers and employees who fail to comply with any of the duties
described in the Act make themselves liable to be prosecuted in the
courts.

You must plan tasks before you do them. You also must risk assess work
to prevent accidents.

* Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 are designed to reduce

the risk of injury to the employee when performing manual handling
tasks.

Employer’s duties:

Avoid hazardous manual handling tasks. If it is unavoidable then

Assess (carry out formal risk assessment)

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Reduce (by following the Risk Assessment you are reducing the risk of
injury to all persons involved)

When you carry out manual handling tasks you should follow the same
process as your employer: avoid, assess and reduce.

Responsibilities of employees:

– Follow work practices that are in place for your safety.

– Use properly any equipment that is provided for your safety.

– Cooperate with your employer on health and safety matters.

– Inform your employer if you identify hazardous handling activities.

– Take care to ensure that your activities do not put others at risk.

Your risk assessment should include Equipment and the four aspects:
Load, Individual, Task and Environment (check equipment and follow
LITE risk assessment also known as ELITE risk assessment)

Definitions:
Hazard is a potential source of harm or danger
Risk is a situation that involves exposure to danger

Risks can be avoided or controlled better when you know what they are.
Possible hazards/risks to consider using LITE tool:

1. Load: heavy; sharp; difficult to grasp; bulky; hot/cold; heavy

2. Individual (your capabilities, team’s capabilities): lack of training or

competence; impatience; rushing; lack of compassion; carelessness; poor
concentration; making assumptions; movement hindered; is your clothing
and footwear appropriate?; your strength, fitness; your health,

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pregnancy; your ability to give the activity the time it requires (fatigue,
stress, time constraints, high job demands)

3. Task: what has to be done?; does it involve twisting, stooping or long

carry distances?; unpredictable movement; repetitive handling; is the
equipment required?

4. Environment: lack of space to carry out tasks safely; variations in

levels; floor conditions; lighting; people about; bits of furniture in the way

You need to report any changes or new hazards.

* You can reduce risks if you:

- Use safe moving principles
- Use equipment
- Adjust the environment
- Change the organisation of work
- Keep healthy

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