Manual Handling Edc

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MANUAL
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HANDLING
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Contents
Introduction to Manual Handling p1
Manual Handling and the Human Body p3
Manual Handling Hazards and Risks p8
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Reducing the Risk of Injury p 14
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Introduction to Manual Handling
The term “Manual Handling” covers a wide range of activities The Manual Handling
define it as;
“Manual handling operations” means any

transporting or supporting of a load
(including the lifting, putting down, pushing,
pulling, carrying or moving thereof) by hand
or by bodily force.
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This definition covers the whole range of work activities and everybody whilst at work will
do manual handling. Whether that manual handling puts them at risk will be determined
by the factors which will be explored in more detail further on in this handbook
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Manual handling at work can range from handling simple static objects such as bricks,
reams of paper, packages etc. to more awkward and challenging objects. Some things
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are more awkward as they may be unstable, contain liquids which can move or the load
may be alive, pets for example and also possibly people.
A static, inanimate load is easier to handle as it does not move whilst being handled
whereas an animate load may move whilst being handled which may increase the risk.
As seen in the definition above manual handling covers all work done by the use of bodily
force. Remember that pushing and pulling are included in the definition and should not
be overlooked.
Page 1
When assessing the risk from manual
handling, and then putting controls in place Definition:

to reduce any risks present, the principle of “Reasonably practicable”
The principle of balancing the

“reasonably practicable” is used.
seriousness of the risk and the
outcome of an accident with the
inconvenience and cost of control
“Reasonably practicable” is a judgment measures. Low risk activities
should not have unnecessary,
made when assessing risk and requires the
inconvenient and costly controls
person making the judgment to have applied, but ones which are
appropriate. A high risk activity
sufficient knowledge of the task, be able to must not have the controls
constrained by inconvenience or by
see the real risks involved and also
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experienced enough to be able to make the
cost as the seriousness of the risk
and the severity of injury make the
controls necessary and
judgment on “reasonably practicable”. appropriate.
This judgment is critical to whether the You would not put on a fire proof
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overall and full face protection to
task has disproportionate, inadequate or get the Sunday roast out of the
oven, you would use oven gloves
appropriate controls implemented and roll your sleeves down, nor
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would you expect a fire fighter to

dependent on the level of understanding of
enter a burning building in shorts
the task and a t shirt, you would expect
them to have appropriate safety
The person making the assessment must be wear.
able to understand the costs involved both in financial terms and in inconvenience and
relate these to the real risks involved in the task and achieve the balance between the
real risk and the cost of controls. Clearly this needs the person doing the assessment to
have a full practical knowledge of the task.
When a Manual Handling Risk Assessment is made a sensible approach to risk
management is needed, what would be regarded as “common sense” should be applied.

Page 2
Manual Handling and the Human Body
Manual handling is an activity which requires physical
effort, normally this effort is through the arms. The arms
transfer the effort, through the shoulders to the torso, the
loads are transferred through the back to the pelvis then
the legs and finally to the floor.
The bones of the human skeleton are reasonably robust
and broken bones during manual handling activities are
quite rare. However, the same cannot be said for the

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tissue of the human body and these are the parts of the
body normally damaged during manual handling.

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The skeleton has tissue between the bones, tissue which
acts as joints where bones meet, tissue, ligaments and

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tendons, which aligns and supports joints, postural
muscles which keep the body upright, after all you don’t
need to think to stand up and voluntary muscles used to cause the body to do everyday
things such as walking, sitting, driving etc. Additionally nerves run down the spine.
The back is the most susceptible part of the body to manual handling injuries. It is a
complex system of small sections of bones (vertebrae) and the pads between them
(discs) and associated muscles and tissue to support it and to cause it to move.
The most common mistake in manual handling is to bend over to lift and use the back as
a lever or to twist whilst lifting.

Page 3
Muscles, Ligaments and tendons can suffer strains and sprains, more serious tears and
rips, discs can slip out of alignment, a “slipped disc” and cause nerves to become trapped,
quite often leading to “sciatica” where the sciatic nerve is trapped leading to phantom leg
pains. Additionally the skin and tissues can suffer bruises and cuts from the loads carried.
Injuries can be caused by both a single catastrophic event or by a repeated series of
minor events, repeated over a period of time. A catastrophic event would normally be
associated with handling something beyond an individual’s capacity whereas injury due
to repetition could be from an action which is within the individual’s capacity to perform
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as an occasional action, but when repeated over time leads to injury as the body does not
recover from the effort of the action before the next action is performed. Repetitive
Strain Injuries can occur with surprisingly light tasks and lead to long term injury and
possible disability just as much as a one off action can.

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The graph below shows the types of injuries which may be suffered.
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Types of over three day injury 2001/02
Sprain/Strain (69%)
Laceration (11%)
Contusion (6%)
Superficial (4%)
Fracture (4%)
Other (6%)
Source: HSE; L23
Page 4
The preceding pie chart shows clearly that the principal injury sustained from manual
handling is a sprain or a strain which with the cuts and bruises added gives 86% of injuries
sustained.
The part of the body injured in manual handling accidents is shown below
Sites of over three day injuries 2001/02
Back (47%)
Finger (15%)
om Upper Limb (11%)
Hand (6%)
Lower Limb (5%)
Other (16%)
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Source: HSE; L23
It clearly shows that the back is the most frequently injured part of the body with just
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under half of the injuries reported.
The act of manual handling presents differing risk of injury from person to person. All
people are different, they are individuals and as such there are no absolute prescriptive
limits on the weight which they are able to lift, although the HSE does give guideline
weights for both Males and Females.
There is a principle which is based on the way the human body works. This is shown on
the following diagram and is based on the charts produced by the HSE but with the
suggested weights removed.
Page 5
Close to the body, short reach,

maximum handling capacity
Further away from the body, longer

reach, handling capacity decreases
Maximum distance, at arm's

length, maximum reach, handling
om capacity at minimum
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The further away from the body the load , the greater the risk of injury. Within the green
zone the body has maximum mechanical advantage, lifting is done using the biceps and
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the load is fed through the shoulder, upper arms basically parallel to the body, this means
little load on the shoulders and the weight is then fed into the spine. As the lifting moves
into the yellow zone the body lose mechanical advantage, the arms extend more, place
more load on the shoulders, and the back may begin to bend. This increases the risk of
injury. In the red zone there is little mechanical advantage, the biceps are not able to be
used to full advantage, the load is through the shoulders and when bent over the back is
likely to be used as a lever. This is further increases the risk of injury. The weights which
can be safely handled decrease with distance or the risk of injury increases.
Page 6
This principle applies to all, no matter how physically strong they may be. Additionally,
twisting lowers the capacity which the individual can safely handle This is shown on the
diagram overleaf along with the reduction on the loads given in percentages.
20% 10%
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Where lifting from a stooped position and twisting is combined the risk of injury is
greatest. These types of tasks almost always require risk assessment to be made. When
the risk assessment is made it is important that it focuses on real risk and considers
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repetition of the task and whether any there are any other factors such as poor posture
which affects the task.

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When lifting is done while sitting down the principle already mentioned on the limitations
on the weights which can be handled are similar to standing in that the further away
from the body the person lifts, the greater the load experienced as mechanical advantage
is lost. Note that being seated significantly reduces the weights which can be handled.
Seated handling also introduces potential problems on posture, chair type etc.
Page 7
Manual Handling Hazards and Risks
(1) Each employer shall:

(b) where it is not reasonably practicable to avoid the
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need for his employees to undertake any manual
handling operations at work which involve a risk of
their being injured
(i) make a suitable and sufficient assessment of all
such manual handling operations to be
undertaken by them, having regard to the factors
which are specified in column 1 of Schedule 1 to
these Regulations and considering the questions
which are specified in the corresponding entry in
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column 2 of that Schedule,
(ii) take appropriate steps to reduce the risk of
injury to those employees arising out of their
undertaking any such manual handling operations
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to the lowest level reasonably practicable, and

(iii) take appropriate steps to provide any of those
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employees who are undertaking any such manual

handling operations with general indications and,
where it is reasonably practicable to do so,
precise information on –
(aa) the weight of each load, and
(bb) the heaviest side of any load whose center of
gravity is not positioned centrally.
Page 8
The risks from manual handling are from the following principal areas below, the
acronym is shown to the right. This is useful when doing a manual handling risk
assessment to remember the areas to be thought about.
The Task T
The Individual I
The Load L
The Environment
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The hazards presented by each of the above need to be considered in relation to the
assessment you are making. The task is the first area to consider and the following tables
give the areas to be thought about. It is important to think about who is doing the
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manual handling, is there anything about them which is special, an obvious point to
consider would be have they any pre‐existing injuries. The Load is the next item, is it an
inanimate object or animates one which could move or is it alive, an animal or a person?
Finally the environment in which the manual handling is to take place is to be thought
about. How does this affect the other three elements?
All these need to be thought about when making a Manual Handling Risk Assessment.
Page 9
The Task – does it involve?

Stooping
T Twisting
Reaching upwards
Lifting or lowering over distances
carrying loads for long distances
Pushing or pulling – excessive effort
Need to position the load precisely
Risk of the load moving suddenly
Prolonged effort or frequent repetition of effort
insufficient rest for recovery
Is the work rate imposed by a process
om Is the work done seated
The Individual – are they?
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Recently pregnant
Expecting
Have a pre‐existing injury
Old
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Young
In need of specific training
unusual capacity
Need to wear Personal Protective Equipment
Specific clothes for the task
Page 10
The Load – is it?
L
Heavy
Bulky
Unwieldy
Likely to block your view of where you’re going
Top heavy / side heavy
Difficult to grip / grasp
Contents likely to move or shift
Hot
Cold
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The Environment – is it?
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Slippery
Wet
Lack of space – stooping / twisting E
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Changes in level to negotiate

Poor or uneven floors
Poor lighting
Windy – particularly gusts
Poor atmosphere – lack of ventilation
Poor atmosphere – excessive heat / humidity
Poor atmosphere – cold
Use of temporary walkways / access equipment
Steep slopes
Page 11
These factors are all part of the Manual Handling Risk Assessment which is to be made
where there is actual risk of harm. Adopt a common sense approach to when a risk
assessment is required. It is not for trivial risk but for real risk, though the less obvious
hazards should not be overlooked. The risk assessment is a structured way of looking at
the activity and working through the hazards and the risks they present along with
identifying suitable controls and recording these so they can be communicated to others.
The Manual Handling Risk Assessment should be made by a person with sufficient
practical knowledge including, a full knowledge of the Task, the Individual, the Load and
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the Environment. This is most likely to be a member of the organization such as an
employer, manager or supervisor who has actual first‐hand knowledge and experience of
the task.
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Employees should be involved in the process as they actually do the task and should
contribute to the risk assessment proves, employees should be consulted as a matter of

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routine on health and safety matters either individually , through nominated
representatives or in a structured way through safety committees. They can provide vital
information on how they actually do the work and how it may be made safer.
In some circumstances the contribution of others may be necessary in the risk
assessment process. Included in these are Safety Managers, Safety Professionals,
Occupational Health Professionals and Industrial Engineers.
Page 12
The depth and complexity of the risk assessment should be in proportion to the risk.
Simple risk assessments for simple and low risk activities and longer more complex risk
assessments for higher risk activities. Always remember that the risk assessment needs
to be communicated to all those who do the task so it should be able to be understood by
them easily. The production of long and complex risk assessments which are not justified
by the actual risks present will have a negative effect on how employees see health and
safety.
The HSE guidance, L23, which can be downloaded from the HSE website free of charge
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has a selection of forms which you may use for carrying out risk assessments.
Having stated the regulations applicable to employers, the regulations applicable to
employees are now given overleaf

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Each employee while at work shall make full and

proper use of any system of work provided for his
use by his employer in compliance with regulation
Employees must also

(a) take reasonable care for their own health and
safety and that of others who may be affected by
their activities; and
(b) Co‐operate with their employers to enable
them to comply with their health and safety duties.
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 Section 7
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Every employee shall use any machinery,
equipment, dangerous substance, transport
equipment, means of production or safety device
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provided to him by his employer in accordance both
with any training in the use of the equipment
concerned which has been received by him and the
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instructions respecting that use which have been

provided to him by the said employer in compliance
with the requirements and prohibitions imposed
upon that employer by or under the relevant
statutory provisions.
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 Reg. 14 (1)
Page 14
Every employee shall inform his employer or

any other employee of that employer with
specific responsibility for the health and
safety of his fellow employees‐
(a) Of any work situation which a

person with the first‐mentioned
employee’s training and instruction
would reasonably consider
represented a serious and immediate
danger to health and safety; and
om (b) of any matter which a person with

the first‐mentioned employee’s
training and instruction would
reasonably consider represented a
shortcoming in the employer’s
protection arrangements for health
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and safety,
in so far as that situation or matter either

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affects the health and safety of that first

mentioned employee or arises out of or in
connection with his own activities at work,
and has not previously been reported to his
employer or to any other employee of that
employer in accordance with this paragraph.
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 Reg. 14 (2)
Page 15
Reducing the Risk of Injury
When making the risk assessment using the four elements Task, Individual, Load and
Environment you will have identified those areas which cause concern. By focusing on
these areas and finding solutions to them
The risks can be reduced or possibly

Example
even eliminated.
A task required the carrying of items
Some controls can be easy and simple to across a workshop to the next
workstation. This was identified in
introduce, such as splitting loads up, this the risk assessment. To prevent this
work was altered to use a trolley to
could be as simple as opening a box of A4
om move the items. This removed the
paper and carrying it one ream at a time, need to carry the items across the
workshop and the trolley was
or complex and require equipment and purchased to be the correct height to
make lifting the item from the
training to use, such as the use of a
workbench to the trolley at waist
level to prevent introducing an
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vacuum lift and counterbalance system to
additional hazard of lifting and
lift items. lowering. The trolley was selected to
have large wheels which made it
The use of a structured approach which easy to push.
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involves those who do the work will
almost always produce the best results and identify practical controls which can be
implemented. Even where it would seem not possible to avoid manual handling, and
mechanization is not possible, it is still possible to introduce controls based on limiting
exposure to manual handling by job rotation and by scheduling the work to allow time for
those doing the manual handling to recuperate.
Some of the possible controls are shown on the following pages, based on the items to be
considered during a Manual Handling Risk Assessment
Page 16
The Task – does it involve ?
T Stooping – Move to where you don’t need to

stoop – minimize time stooping
Twisting – Move your position – Move the
Work; redesign the task to remove need to
twist
Reaching upwards – Lower the destination or
use mechanical lift
Lifting or lowering over distances ‐ Redesign the
work; use mechanical aids, hoist, lifting table
Carrying loads for long distances – Use a trolley,
sack barrow, put on a pallet and use a forklift
or pallet truck
Pushing or pulling – excessive effort – Use skids,
conveyer, proper wheeled trolley, reduce the
weight
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Need to position the load precisely – Use guides
to aid positioning
Risk of the load moving suddenly – Secure the
load; remove what may move suddenly
Prolonged effort or frequent repetition of effort
– Reduce the weight so the repetition does not
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lead to fatigue or repetitive strain type injuries;
more breaks; job rotation
Insufficient rest for recovery – More breaks; job
rotation; redesign the task
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Is the work rate imposed by a process – Give

control of the speed to the operator; redesign
the task
Is the work done seated – Carefully evaluate
the ergonomics of the task
Page 17
The Individual – are they ?

Recently pregnant – This must be covered in a
specific risk assessment under the Management
of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
as a specific item; consider how this impacts on
the other elements T, L, E
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Expecting ‐ pregnant – This must be covered in
a specific risk assessment under the
Management of Health and Safety at Work
Regulations 1999 as a specific item; consider
how this impacts on the other elements T, L, E
Have a pre‐existing injury – You must take into
account any pre‐existing injury as the task may
cause this to reoccur
Old – Does the person’s age present any issues
which need to be addressed?
Young – Does their youth or inexperience put
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them at risk? They may need a specific Young
Person’s Risk assessment under the
Management of Health and Safety at Work
Regulations 1999
In need of specific training – Does the task
require specific training to be done safely
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Unusual capacity – Is the task such that it needs
a minimum capacity to do
Need to wear Personal Protective Equipment –
Does personal protective equipment impact on
the task; thick gloves reduce dexterity
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Specific clothes for the task – Does the wearing

of special clothes affect the task; Clothes to
protect against heat or cold can be cumbersome
And restrict movement
Page 18
L
The Load – is it ?
Heavy – Look for the weight label or if you
originate the item put a weight label on it; Can
it be split up into sections; put on a trolley,
forklift; lifted by machine
Bulky – Would it be better team handled or put
on a trolley
Unwieldy – Can it be split down; team handled
or mechanically handled
Likely to block your view of where you’re going
– Is it possible to use someone to guide you;
team handled do both people can see
Top heavy / side heavy – Label the heavy side;
look for the heavy this side label; Mechanism
the handling
omDifficult to grip / grasp – Wear gloves with grip
on the palms and fingers – use a handle or grabs
Contents likely to move or shift – Can the
contents be secured; team handle to make sure
if it shifts the load can still be safely handled
Hot – Use grips, handle, mechanical means;
reduce handling time; more breaks to avoid
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fatigue
Cold ‐ Use grips, handle, mechanical means;
reduce handling time; more breaks to avoid
cold affecting the muscles
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Dangerous – Mechanical handling to be

considered; put the load in a spill resistant
container – train in handling technique and
precautions and provide Personal Protective
Equipment
Page 19
The possible controls in blue text are not
exhaustive but provided to illustrate a range

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of possible controls. Those actually
applicable will depend on the task being
assessed.
Where it is not possible to avoid having to

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manually handle a load, especially lifting a
load the use of good handling principles will
assist in preventing injury.
The pictograms which follow show, step by

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step the principle of good lifting technique.
The procedure for lifting starts with

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assessing the load to be moved.
Page 20
Good Lifting Technique
Think first, plan how to handle the load, the route and
the destination. Are there obstacles, stairs, etc.
om Assess the load. Visually check for any weight

markings or indicators. Size is not always a reliable
indicator of weight. Rock the load as shown to assess
its weight
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Position the feet close to the load to keep the load close
to the body.
Lift with the leg muscles keeping the back straight and
the chin looking ahead not down. This keeps the spine
as straight as possible.
Raise the load close to the body using the leg muscles
keeping the back straight and looking ahead, again this
keeps the spine as straight as possible.
ge 22
Walk with the load close to the body keeping the

head looking forward and the back straight
When placing the load lower using the legs rather

than bending the back. This may mean placing the
load closer to the edge of a surface and then
om maneuvering into final position without risk of injury.
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Don’t do it like these!!!

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Using your back as a lever like the picture is
putting you at extreme risk of injury. It is not
advisable to lift anything in this manner
Do not twist and lift, especially like this,
reaching up, at arms‐length.
Page 23
Team lifting is one way that the load can be shared between a number of persons. This
has its hazards. Team lifting needs one person to control the lift and if the load blocks
the view of where the load is to go, or if there are obstacles, then an additional person
may be needed to guide the team.
When doing any kind of manual handling plan what you’re going to do, where you’re
going and how you’re going to get there. Consider whether doors need to be opened,
especially for team handling. Check if the narrow places, especially doorways are wide
enough, again especially important for team handling, can the load and the team pass
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through? The last thing needed when manual handling is needing to put the load down to
open doors, reposition your-self relative to the load or find it won’t fit.
Where possible avoid manual handling or make it as easy as possible. Use mechanical
aids:
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Mechanical aids need not be hi tech or
expensive, a simple sack barrow makes
moving loads much easier, push them
along with minimal effort
Page 24
For moving items placed on pallets the
pallet truck is useful though it does not
work well on rough or uneven floors and
is not easy to use where step changes in
level or slopes are to be negotiated
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The forklift truck is powered and the
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driver can lift and lower loads, pick them
up and transport over long distances. It
has limitations where crossing slopes is

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required but rough terrain types are
available and these may be fitted with
various attachments.
Page 25
To assist in carrying flat items, such as glass, it is possible to obtain inexpensive handles
which attach by suction and make lifting easier than the cartoon below. Better still use a
trolley.
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Page 26

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https://oil-com.blogspot.

Introduction to Manual Handling p1

Manual Handling and the Human Body p3

Manual Handling Hazards and Risks p8

Introduction to Manual Handling

“Manual handling operations” means any

may be alive, pets for example and also possibly people.

When assessing the risk from manual

handling, and then putting controls in place Definition:

The principle of balancing the

would you expect a fire fighter to

have a full practical knowledge of the task.

When a Manual Handling Risk Assessment is made a sensible approach to risk

management is needed, what would be regarded as “common sense” should be applied.

Manual Handling and the Human Body

Manual handling is an activity which requires physical

effort, normally this effort is through the arms. The arms

transfer the effort, through the shoulders to the torso, the

loads are transferred through the back to the pelvis then

the legs and finally to the floor.

The bones of the human skeleton are reasonably robust

and broken bones during manual handling activities are

quite rare. However, the same cannot be said for the

body normally damaged during manual handling.

acts as joints where bones meet, tissue, ligaments and

tendons, which aligns and supports joints, postural

a lever or to twist whilst lifting.

Injuries can be caused by both a single catastrophic event or by a repeated series of

possible disability just as much as a one off action can.

Types of over three day injury 2001/02

Source: HSE; L23

Sites of over three day injuries 2001/02

Lower Limb (5%)

Source: HSE; L23

under half of the injuries reported.

weights for both Males and Females.

suggested weights removed.

Close to the body, short reach,

Further away from the body, longer

Maximum distance, at arm's

which affects the task.

Manual Handling Hazards and Risks

(1) Each employer shall:

to the lowest level reasonably practicable, and

employees who are undertaking any such manual

assessment to remember the areas to be thought about.

about. How does this affect the other three elements?

The Task – does it involve?

om Is the work done seated

The Individual – are they?

The Load – is it?

Changes in level to negotiate

contribute to the risk assessment proves, employees should be consulted as a matter of

routine on health and safety matters either individually , through nominated

In some circumstances the contribution of others may be necessary in the risk

assessment process. Included in these are Safety Managers, Safety Professionals,

Occupational Health Professionals and Industrial Engineers.

to be communicated to all those who do the task so it should be able to be understood by

Having stated the regulations applicable to employers, the regulations applicable to

employees are now given overleaf

Each employee while at work shall make full and

Employees must also