What is Manual Handling? - A Chance For Life · What is Manual Handling? The Manual Handling Operations Regulations (MHOR)define Manual Handling as: “any transporting or supporting

What is Manual Handling? The Manual Handling Operations Regulations

(MHOR)define Manual Handling as:

“any transporting or supporting of a load (including

the lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or

moving thereof) by hand or by bodily force.”

Why? In health and social care services, moving and

handling injuries account for 40% of work-related sickness absence. Around 5000 moving and handling injuries are reported each year in health services and around 2000 in social care.

Moving and handling is a key part of the working day for most employees; from moving of equipment, laundry, catering, supplies or waste to assisting residents in moving.

Over 50% of injuries arise from the moving and handling of people.

Why? Poor moving and handling practice can lead to:

back pain and musculoskeletal disorders, which can

lead to inability to work

moving and handling accidents – which can injure both

the person being moved and the employee

discomfort and a lack of dignity for the person being

moved

Health & Safety at Work Act 1974

(HSWA) – Duties of the Employer

The duty of the Employer under the HSWA is to

ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the

health, safety and welfare of all their employees and

others who might be affected by the way they go

about their work.

HSWA – Duties of the Employer They can achieve this by:

Provision and maintenance of plant and safe systems of work

Safety in the use, storage and transport of loads and substances

Provision of information, instruction, training and supervision of employees

Maintenance of a safe workplace

Maintenance of a safe and healthy working environment

HSWA – Duties of the Employee The duties of the Employee under the HSWA are:

To take reasonable care of their own health and

safety and those who may be affected by their acts

and omissions (which would include patients,

colleagues, visitors etc)

To co-operate with their employer to enable him to

comply with his health and safety duties

Management of Health & Safety at Work

Regulations 1999

-Duties of the employee

To use equipment provided by their employers as

instructed.

If you injure yourself by choosing not to use

equipment which was available to you, you may not

be eligible for compensation and may even be liable

for contributory negligence in the event of a third

party being injured as a result of your actions.

Manual Handling Operations

Regulations

1992 (MHOR)

Duties of the employer

Avoid manual handling where possible

Assess any hazardous activities where manual handling can’t be avoided

If the assessment indicates a significant risk of injury a

more specific assessment must be made

Reduce the risk of injury as far as is reasonably practicable

Manual Handling Operations

Regulations

1992 (MHOR)

Duties of the employee

Follow the laid down systems of work

Make proper use of equipment provided

Co-operate in H&S matters

Advise your manager if you are unwell

Not putting other people at risk

Other Legislation The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations

1998 (PUWER)

(This is to ensure that employers provide suitable equipment, which staff are trained to use)

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare)Regulations 1992 (WHSWR)

(This is to ensure employers provide suitable working conditions)

The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER)

(This is to ensure that adequate lifting equipment is in place and maintained in working order)

Spinal Awareness

In order to adhere to the principles of Safer Manual

Handling techniques, it is important to understand

the structure and function of the spine, and to learn

the theory of good posture.

Structure and Function of the

Spine The spine is the major

supporting structure of the body, and consists of 24 moveable vertebrae and 9 fixed vertebrae, all of varying sizes.

The top 24 vertebrae are separated by discs, these act as ‘shock absorbers’ and stretches and relaxes during movement

Repeated stresses can cause small tears and bulging of the disc

The Spine The most

commonly injured

areas are

neck

lower back

Posture

Posture is a condition rather than a position and

applies to all parts of the body, not just the spine,

when both static and during movement.

If uncorrected, poor posture can lead to changes in

the structure of joints and can even cause premature

ageing.

Poor Posture Most adults adopt poor postural positions on a daily

basis, at work or in the home.

Examples include:

Top heavy bending (bending from the waist, with the legs straight)

Slumping/slouching (probably whilst watching TV from a comfy chair/sofa…!)

Sleeping on your front, or on your side in a “foetal position” (forcing the spine out of its natural curves)

Twisting (turning at the waist to reach for something rather than moving the whole body to the object)

Risk Assessments Generic

May apply generally to moving and handling tasks in a

particular environment or setting – e.g., carrying

objects

Individual

Person centred and involve the person

Relate to specific moving and handling tasks with

specific individuals – e.g., Bed to chair transfer in

persons own home

Risk Assessment

Moving and Handling Risk assessments will have

been completed by a suitably competent person

and put in place for the moving and handling tasks

you will be involved in

However, each time you perform any moving and

handling task you should be completing your own

mental risk assessment

TILE T = The Task

Does the activity involve twisting, stooping, bending, excessive travel, pushing, pulling or precise positioning of the load, sudden movement, inadequate rest or recovery periods, team handling or seated work?

I=The Individual - You

Does the individual require unusual strength or height for the activity, are they pregnant, disabled or suffering from a health problem. Is specialist knowledge or training required?

TILE L= The Load

Is the load heavy, unwieldy, difficult to grasp, sharp,

hot, cold, difficult to grip, are the contents likely to

move or shift?

E = The Environment

Are there space constraints, uneven, slippery or

unstable floors, variations in floor levels, extremely

hot, cold or humid conditions, poor lighting, poor

ventilation, gusty winds, clothing or Personal

Protective Equipment that restricts movement?

Think before lifting / handling -

Use TILE Plan the lift.

Can handling or mechanical aids be used?

Where is the load going to be placed?

Will help be needed with the load?

Remove obstructions such as discarded wrapping

materials. For a long lift, consider resting the load

midway on a table or bench to change grip.

Don’t lift or handle more that can be easily

managed.

Risk Assessment Look for hazard – (restricted space for transfer,

awkward shaped objects need transported)

Decide who might be harmed and why (TILE)

Evaluate the risk – eliminate risk, reduce risk or

manage risk

Report – let your line manager know of any changes

Principals of safe moving,

handling and lifting ‘Safer Manual Handling Begins at Your Base,

and Goes Up to Your Face’

You must think about your posture whilst moving & handling objects and/or people

Remember the following:

Feet – should always be positioned to form a wide, stable mobile base

Knees – bend & relax your knees

Legs –bend your legs

Back –maintain the natural ‘S’ shape in your back

Arms –keep the object close to your body

Hands – use your whole hand to ensure a good grip

Head –Keep your head up and look forwards

Adopt a stable position The feet should be apart with one leg slightly forward

to maintain balance.

Be prepared to move feet during lift to maintain

stability.

Avoid tight clothing or unsuitable footwear, which

may make this difficult.

Start in a good posture At the start of the lift, slight bending of the back, hips

and knees is preferable to fully flexing the back

(stooping) or fully flexing the hips and knees

(squatting).

Always raise the load, then straighten the legs to

avoid increasing flexion in the back.

Once the load is held securely keep the head up

when handling.

Keep the load close to the waist Keep the load close to the body for as long as

possible while lifting.

Keep the heaviest side of the load next to the body.

If a close approach to the load is not possible, try to

slide it towards the body before attempting it.

Avoid twisting the back or leaning sideways, keep

shoulders and hips facing the same direction. Turn

using the feet.

Move slowly, jerky movements can make it harder to

control and can increase the risk of injury.

Policy and guidance ACFL Moving and Handling Policy and Procedure

ACFL Health & Safety Policy and Procedure

ACFL Risk Assessment Policy and Procedure

ACFL Incident reporting Policy and Procedure

Summary Poor Moving and Handling can lead to injury to

yourself and others

Legislation is in place which details both employers

and employees responsibilities

Use TILE to assess moving and handling tasks

All basic principals of moving and handling must be

adhered to al all times to ensure safe manual

handling and avoid injury

Client specific manual handling guidance and

training is given to all staff where required

Quiz