KUWAIT OIL COMPANY

HEALTH SAFETY & ENVIRONMENT TEAM

OCCUPATION HEALTH AND HYGIENE ALERT

MANUAL HANDLING
A manual task refers to any activity requiring a person to use any part of their muscular or skeletal system in their interactions
with their work environment. It includes the following activities:

Exposure to
Carrying Lifting Pulling Pushing Repetitive Task Holding Striking Vibration
 Manual Task Injuries  5 Manual Handling  Common Steps to Reducing Manual
Manual tasks can lead to injury through the development of Principles to avoid injury Task Injuries
Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD).an MSD is an injury affecting • PLAN : Plan your lift adequately  Change the object - for example, repack a heavy
the bones or soft tissue structure (other than organs) of the • POSITION : Center the body & feet load into smaller, more manageable parcels
body that is caused by manual handling at work. correctly
• PICK: Lift item using good posture  Use mechanical aids - like wheelbarrows, trolleys,
 Symptoms • PROCEED: Move towards desired conveyor belts, cranes or forklifts
• Back or neck pain direction 
• Heaviness Change the nature of the work - offer frequent
• PLACE : Set object down safely
• Pain in wrists shoulder or arms breaks or multi-task
• Swelling
• Weakness or clumsiness • Painful joints  Seek proper training - inexperienced workers are
more likely to be injured
• tingling or numbness in hands or feet
Ref No: EN71/512/2023 Prepared by: HSE (E&D)Team