SLIC guide European inspection and communication campaign

‘Manual Handling of Loads in Europe 2007 in transport and care’

SLIC guide
European inspection and communication campaign
‘Manual Handling of Loads in Europe 2007 in
transport and care’

This document is meant for National Labour Inspectorates (NLI):

− Representatives in the SLIC working group manual handling of loads

in order to:
o fill in their roll as responsible key person nationally for the
SLIC working group

− Management/ strategy makers in order to:

o integrate this project in the national inspection strategy 2007
o enable trainers of inspectors to follow the European train the
trainers course as described in this document
o reserve time to enable inspectors to be trained on this project
nationally by the trainers named under 3
o reserve inspection capacity to carry out the inspection project
in the second half of 2007

− Project leader(s) in order to:

o set up and carry out the inspection and communication
campaign manual handling of loads for their inspectors
nationally

− Trainers of inspectors in order to:

o inform and prepare themselves for the SLIC train the trainers
course on manual handling of loads
o make arrangements to train inspectors nationally after the
train the trainers course

-1-
SLIC guide European inspection and communication campaign
‘Manual Handling of Loads in Europe 2007 in transport and care’

Content
Chapter 1: Goals, organisation, tasks and timeline 3
1.1 Goals and organisation ...............................................................................................3
1.1 Timeline: When, what and by who ..............................................................................4

Chapter 2: Introduction 5
2.1 Background of the campaign ......................................................................................5
2.2 Overall Project Goals ..................................................................................................5

Chapter 3: Setting up a national inspection project Manual Handling of Loads 6

3.1 Quality and quantity expectations of the inspection project .........................................6
3.2 Campaign targeting Transport and Care sector ..........................................................6
3.3 Guideline Assessment methods Manual Handling of Loads........................................7
3.4 Inspecting and enforcing Manual Handling of Loads...................................................7

Chapter 4: Organising the communication campaign 8

4.1 Quality expectations regarding the communication campaign.....................................8
4.2 Communication plan, brochures and press announcement.........................................8
4.3 Harmonisation with the Week of the Safety.................................................................8

Chapter 5: Training of Inspectors 9

5.1 Quality expectations for inspectors participating in the MHL project............................9
5.2 Train the trainers on Manual Handling of Loads program............................................9

Chapter 6: Evaluation of the campaign 10

6.1 Evaluation Goals.......................................................................................................10

Annexes 11

-2-
SLIC guide European inspection and communication campaign
‘Manual Handling of Loads in Europe 2007 in transport and care’

Chapter 1: Goals, organisation, tasks and timeline

1.1 Goals and organisation

Scope: This document provides a guidance for setting up a national inspection and communication
campaign on Manual Handling of Loads in the transport sector and in the health care sector. This
European initiated inspection and communication campaign is to be carried out from March 2007 until
the end of November 2007.

Participants: All Labour Inspectorates from the EU member states/ EFTA countries

Project goals:
- Better compliance in the EU with EU Directive 90/269/EEC “Manual Handling of Loads” in order to
reduce musculo-skeletal disorders,
- Improving the inspection and communication methods of the national labour inspectorates by
learning from existing methods,
- Greater harmony in the enforcement of the manual handling of loads throughout the EU.

Project organisation and tasks for the national labour inspectorates:

SLIC
European campaign on
manual handling of
loads

NLI Member state x NLI Member state y Member state z

Implementation campaign in Implementation campaign in Implementation…
National Strategy 2007 National Strategy..

Et cetera
National inspection project National Trainer(s):
leader(s): Follow the international ‘train the
Writing of national inspection project trainers MHL’ course
plan using the SLIC guide MHL Training the inspectors participating
Management of national inspection nationally for executing the project
project MHL MHL
Evaluation of the inspection project

National communication project

leader(s):
Multiply project brochures
Distribution of brochures to
stakeholders

Inspectors
Carrying out inspections MHL
Follow the training course nationally

-3-
SLIC guide European inspection and communication campaign
‘Manual Handling of Loads in Europe 2007 in transport and care’

1.1 Timeline: When, what and by who

When What Who

Spring 2007 Start communication campaign nationally NLI Management
Printing brochures (general, transport and National project leader/ National
Approx. April care, delivered by Dutch SLIC project representative in SLIC working group
management) and make information on
project digitally available
Approx. April Press release (delivered by SLIC pm) NLI management
Preparing inspection project Manual National project leader(s) inspection
handling of Loads project Manual Handling of Loads
Approx. Participating in a 2-day European train the Trainers of inspectors from NLI
May/June trainers program on Manual Handling of
Loads
Approx June/ Training inspectors on project Manual Trainers of inspectors give training
July Handling of Loads Inspectors participating in training

Summer 2007 Start inspection project nationally NLI management/ Project leader
inspection project
End of July 2007- Inspecting transport and care sectors on NLI Inspectors
End of November Manual handling of Loads (with aid of this
2007 guideline Manual Handling of Loads
presented in chapter 3.3 or with aid of
national inspection and assessment
methods).
Collecting best practices with photo and NLI Inspectors
description.
October European Week of the safety physical load Agency of occupational safety and
Health
End of November End of campaign! Start filling in evaluation Project leader(s) campaign/ NLI
2007 document representative in SLIC Working
group
December 2007 Completing and send evaluation NLI representative in SLIC Working
documents to project management SLIC group
working group MHL

June 2008 Evaluation report ready, official end of Dutch project management SLIC
project working group MHL

-4-
SLIC guide European inspection and communication campaign
‘Manual Handling of Loads in Europe 2007 in transport and care’

Chapter 2: Introduction

2.1 Background of the campaign

Work-related posture and musculo-skeletal disorders are a common problem in Europe, and this is
recognised by the European Commission. The social consequences of this, in the form of a growing
number of people registered as (long-term) disabled, are due to the fact that some groups of workers
are less effectively protected against health risks arising from the manual handling of heavy loads. The
economic consequences are reflected in the social and medical costs to the state and the reduced
availability of individuals for work, combined with a working population that is becoming older and
consists of a growing number of female workers. In the EU’s health and safety strategy for 2002-2006,
the European Commission has indicated that it wants to match EU health and safety policy to the
work-related problems associated with a greying working population in which the proportion of women
is growing, and with changing forms of employment. One aspect of the European Commission’s action
programme is to increase the focus on the prevention of work-related illnesses, in respect of which
priority must be given to e.g. musculo-skeletal disorders. The European Commission is particularly
concerned to ensure the improved application of EU legislation, with a key position given to the SLIC
in EU strategy.

EU Directive 90/269/EEC concerns the manual handling of loads in working situations. In

implementing this directive, member states are facing problems varying from a lack of useful norms/
assessment methods form manual handling situations, lack of knowledge with employers/ employees
and difficulties in changing the ruling culture (SLIC Survey 2004). There is also a risk of competitive
distortion due to the disproportional high investments required in some countries towards other
countries where no measures are demanded.

This inspection and communications campaign which was initiated by the SLIC ties in with the EU
strategy. The project is developed in 2005-2006 and implemented in 2007. The project and
accompanying products will help to achieve a more uniform implementation of the 1990 EU Directive
(90/269/EEC), which sets down the safety and health provisions governing the manual handling of
loads. The project will provide support in these problems and will also provide a targeted impulse for
improving working conditions in situations where the manual handling of loads is potentially harmful for
the safety and health of employees. The effect of the project will be strengthened by the fact that the
EU Agency for Safety and Health at Work in Bilbao in 2007 and European Safety Week will also be
addressing this theme.

2.2 Overall Project Goals

The above mentioned resulted in the following project goals:
- Better compliance in the EU with EU Directive 90/269/EEC “Manual Handling of Loads” in order to
reduce musculo-skeletal disorders,
- Improving the inspection and communication methods of the national labour inspectorates by
learning from existing methods and integrating them,
- Greater harmony in the enforcement of the manual handling of loads throughout the EU.

EU experience indicates that inspectors find manual handling more difficult to address than most other
topics. Therefore the SLIC ‘Train-the trainers program’ in chapter 4 is meant not only for this specific
campaign, but for a wider NLI training approach on this topic. Also the risk assessment guideline
Manual Handling of Loads (see paragraph 3.3) is applicable in all sectors. If we maintain a wider view
we can potentially impact a larger population at risk and thus increase any multiplier effect from the
pan European project. It also enables greater flexibility in any member state where there may already
have been improvements made in a specific area and effort needs to be applied elsewhere.

-5-
SLIC guide European inspection and communication campaign
‘Manual Handling of Loads in Europe 2007 in transport and care’

Chapter 3: Setting up a national inspection project Manual

Handling of Loads

3.1 Quality and quantity expectations of the inspection project

The SLIC working group agreed on the following quality and quantity expectations for the inspection
project Manual Handling of Loads in the transport and care sector (to be seen as a guideline).

Inspection project
− 80% of the SLIC countries to be implementing the inspection project on the manual handling of
loads by 2007 (23 countries).
− 50% of the situations inspected to result in an intervention (advise, warning, cessation of work,
fine, legal prosecution) in the manual handling of loads.
− 25% of the inspectors in each member state to take part in the inspection project.
− Each participating inspector to have taken part in the European training course on the manual
handling of loads or to have met the minimum training requirements applied within the project
− In order to have significant effect in the transport sector, every participating country should inspect
at least 100 companies in the transport sector or if this number is not available, as much as
possible
− In order to have significant effect in this sector, every participating country will inspect at least 100
institutions in the care sector or as much as possible

Inspection method
- The EU Directive on the manual handling of loads to be able to be implemented in a uniform and
transparent way in all the member states.

3.2 Campaign targeting Transport and Care sector

Although one of the main goals of this campaign has an overall goal in getting better compliance with
the EU directive in every sector, SLIC decided to focus in this campaign primarily on an internationally
oriented sector and a socially relevant sector. The sectors to be inspected in this campaign are the
transport and the care. Both the transport and care sectors were identified as targets for this campaign
because in most EU member states they present or likely to present significant manual handling ill
health.

Furthermore, the transport sector is chosen because of it’s broad, internationally oriented issues on
manual handling, in order to reach a level playing field and offer the same level of protection for
workers internationally. Therefore a few main areas within the transport sector have been targeted as
focal inspection areas:
o Airports: baggage handling manually (especially passengers baggage)
o Harbour: stevedoring manually
o All other work activities which involve loading, unloading and transhipment of goods
and baggage.
In order to have significant effect in this sector, every participating country should inspect at least 100
companies in the transport sector or if this number is not available, as much as possible.

The care sector is also chosen because of the broad social implications of the issues on manual
handling in this sector. The main inspection areas in this sector are:
o Work activities involving people handling/assistance - nurses/carers, other
professionals (washing, moving, other care taking activities)
o Work activities involving handling loads in “services" activities in the care sector such
as maintenance, cleaning, catering, portage, laundry etc.
In order to have significant effect in this sector, every participating country will inspect at least 100
institutions in the care sector or as much as possible. All institutions can be involved like hospitals,
elderly homes, mentally and/ or physically handicapped homes. Ambulances or other emergency
services are excluded.

-6-
SLIC guide European inspection and communication campaign
‘Manual Handling of Loads in Europe 2007 in transport and care’

Annex 1 contains an exploration document of the transport and care sector. It contains a description of
the facts, the possible problems on manual handling of loads, differentiated by sub sector and
function. It also describes the solutions for the problems.

For the evaluation it is important to make sure in your inspection project that the results of the
transport inspections and the care inspections can be judged separately. Also a distinction must be
made between the items inspected. It is advised to use in minimum the inspection items used in
evaluation forms whilst setting up the inspection project.

3.3 Guideline Assessment methods Manual Handling of Loads

The SLIC working group has developed a guideline with special reference to Council Directive of 29
May 1990 on the minimum health and safety requirements for the manual handling of loads where
there is a risk particularly of back injury to workers (fourth individual Directive within the meaning of
Article 16 (1) of Directive 89/391/EEC) (90/269/EEC).

This guideline is especially developed for National Labour Inspectorates with no assessment method
for inspecting Manual of Loads or for those who are not satisfied with their own assessment method
Manual handling of Loads. Use of this guideline is recommended but not obligatory. The only
restriction in this is that any other assessment method should have the same multi factorial approach
for manual handling of loads, that is that it should take into account all factors influencing a manual
handling of load situation (and not only the weight) as stated in the EU Council Directive 90/269.
If technical possible the ‘guideline assessments methods Manual handling of Loads’ can be placed on
the NLI’s own web site with reference to this project as well, in order to be transparent in our
inspections methods for our stakeholders but also for their own use.

This guideline is directed to assist all practitioners in fulfilling the requirements of the Council Directive
particularly and is developed to support National Labour Inspectorates in implementing the Directive
Manual Handling of Loads practically in inspections. Using this guideline enables inspectors to identify
and assess risk on Manual Handling of Loads. It is also applicable for other practitioners in avoiding
hazardous work load situations or at least to minimise this hazards by taking appropriate technologic
or organisational measures. The methods described in this guideline are usable without specific
ergonomic training. The time effort is minimised as far as possible. This guideline contains proven and
tested methods on two levels of different effort and quality of results. A third level for tackling special
problems is supplemented for information purposes, this level can be filled with sector specific
instruments nationally. The guideline is enclosed in the annex 2.

3.4 Inspecting and enforcing Manual Handling of Loads

The two major inspection points for all inspection areas should be:
1. Has the company/ institution performed a risk assessment on manual handling of loads?
2. Are measures and solutions taken to prevent the biggest risks (risks to be at least globally
assessed/ indicated with aid of an inspection assessment method like the SLIC assessment
guideline)

Referring to the general recommendations made by the working group of the SLIC construction
campaigns in 2003 and 2004, should lie on enforcing the two inspection items (verbal or written
warning, written demand, cessation of work, fine and legal prosecution).

Proposed way of enforcement in case of violation is to start intervention with a written warning or a
demand for compliance. When the violation is still present during the control visit, a more severe
instrument (depending on national inspection strategy) can be used.

-7-
SLIC guide European inspection and communication campaign
‘Manual Handling of Loads in Europe 2007 in transport and care’

Chapter 4: Organising the communication campaign

4.1 Quality expectations regarding the communication campaign

The SLIC working group Manual Handling of Loads agreed on the following quality expectations for
the communication campaign.

− In each country where the MHL inspection project is carried out, the social partners and other
relevant stakeholders (to be defined by the NLI itself) are to be informed at national level from the
start of the MHL 2007 project.
− Awareness of the risks and prevention measures associated with the manual handling of loads to
be increased among employers, workers and other relevant players.
− A cultural change in the approach to risks associated with the manual handling of loads; involving
tackling problems at the source rather than responding to the way people work, taking into
account the hygienic strategy.

4.2 Communication plan, brochures and press announcement

The SLIC working group has prepared three brochures and a press announcement in each EU
language. The goal of these brochures is to inform stakeholders about the inspection campaign, the
problems on manual handling of loads issues and possible solutions. They will become digitally
available for de National Labour Inspectorates and can be used in the national communication
campaign.

Every National Labour Inspectorate prints out as much brochures as needed and distribute them to all
stakeholders. A global timeline for the distribution of the brochures and the press announcement is
enclosed in the annex 3. The three brochures are enclosed in the annex 4. If technically possible the
brochures should be placed on the NLI’s own web site with reference to this project as well.

One brochure will be a more general brochure about the EU directive and the how and when
inspection project manual handling of loads and the possible assessment methods. It contains also a
general description of the problems on manual handling of loads in Europe. The second brochure will
be a sector specific one concerning manual handling problems in the care sector, the assessment of
them and possible source solutions. The third is the similar to the second one but then for the
transport sector.

4.3 Harmonisation with the Week of the Safety

The logo, style and lay-out of the SLIC campaign Manual Handling of Loads is as far as possible
harmonised with the activities and products of the Week of the Safety campaign of the European
Agency of Safety and Health at work in Bilbao which will take place in October 2007. More information
about these activities can be found on your local focal point web site. It would be effective to integrate
this week of the safety in this SLIC campaign.

-8-
SLIC guide European inspection and communication campaign
‘Manual Handling of Loads in Europe 2007 in transport and care’

Chapter 5: Training of Inspectors

5.1 Quality expectations for inspectors participating in the MHL

project
The following quality expectations have been agreed on:
− Health and safety inspectors to be able to be uniformly trained for inspection of the manual
handling of loads, using a basic MHL training plan which adjusts with the directive 90/269/EEC.
− Health and safety inspectors who take part in the MHL 2007 project to be aware of the risks of the
manual handling of loads.
− Health and safety inspectors who take part in the MHL 2007 project to be able to use (or if
nationally agreed on, to conduct) a risk assessment on the manual handling of loads in
inspections in order to identify possible high risk areas on the working floor.
− Health and safety inspectors who take part in the MHL 2007 project to be able to judge a risk
assessment on the manual handling of loads.

5.2 Train the trainers on Manual Handling of Loads program

SLIC enables all National Labour Inspectorates to train their inspectors properly in inspecting Manual
Handling of Load situations. A 2-day European trainings program ‘train the trainers on Manual
Handling of Loads’ will be held in order to train your NLI’s trainer(s) of inspectors. It gives the NLI’s the
opportunity to sent out representative trainers to follow a two-day European inspection course on
Manual handling of Loads. These trainers can train the participating inspectors at home on the
inspections of manual handling of loads in a harmonised way, supported with EU/ SLIC material. The
organisation of the national inspectors training is the responsibility for the National Labour
Inspectorates themselves. Inspectors have to be trained before starting the actual inspections.

The train the trainers program will take place from May until July 2007. The intention is to let it be
developed and hosted by two centrally located NLI trainings centres in Europe. The number of ‘train
the trainers on manual handling of loads’ courses given depends on the amount of trainers listed by
the National Labour Inspectorates. This listing has not yet been finished when publishing this
document. The talking language will be in English, for some courses translation to German or French
will be available.

Further information and data about the ‘train the trainer on manual handling of loads’ program will be
available and distributed in spring 2007 or earlier when possible. Please make reservations for the 2
day training + additional travel time for your trainers’ time capacity in the months May until July. Costs
for travel and stay are for the National Labour Inspectorates themselves, the costs of the development
and the carrying out of the trainings program will be covered by the SLIC working group.

-9-
SLIC guide European inspection and communication campaign
‘Manual Handling of Loads in Europe 2007 in transport and care’

Chapter 6: Evaluation of the campaign

6.1 Evaluation Goals

After finishing the inspection and communication campaign in the end of November 2007, the project
will be evaluated. This evaluation concerns the inspection part, the communication part and the
training part

The goal of the evaluation is:

− To what extent the quality and quantity expectations as formulated are met
− Investigation of best practices in Manual Handling of Loads situations in both transport and care
sector
− Investigation of the lessons learned in the project

The NLI representatives in the SLIC working group Manual handling of Loads will be responsible for
the completion of and sending in the evaluation documents. The project management of the SLIC
working group Manual Handling of Loads will make the final evaluation report after receiving all
evaluation documents.

The evaluation documents are enclosed in the annex 5.

- 10 -
SLIC guide European inspection and communication campaign
‘Manual Handling of Loads in Europe 2007 in transport and care’

Annexes
Annex 1: Exploration document
Annex 2: Guideline for Risk Assessment on Manual Handling of Loads
Annex 3: Timeline distribution of the communication products
Annex 4: Brochures Manual handling of loads: (General, Care and Transport)
Annex 5: Evaluation documents Inspection and Communication campaign
(Part 1: inspection, Part 2: communication and part 3: training of inspectors)

- 11 -