Manual handling train

the trainer
City & Guilds Certificate

Dr Alistair Bromhead
Health, Safety and Environmental
Consultant
www.abromhead.co.uk
Learning

 Tell me and I will forget

 Show me and I may remember

 Involve me and I will understand

Course objectives - overall

 By the end of the course, participants will:

 Understand the significance of MH injuries

 Have a basic knowledge of human anatomy

 Understand principles of safe manual handling

 Appreciate MH legislation and risk assessment

 Be able to train others on safe manual handling

Manual handling operations

 “any transporting or supporting of a load by hand or

bodily force

 Includes:
 Lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving
thereof
 Using mechanical aids, e.g. trolleys
Driving forces

 Addressing manual handling issues can lead to

benefits:
 Legal compliance: criminal law
 Social: fewer sick days and less absenteeism
 Moral: should not be injured for work
 Market: bad H&S = bad PR
 Financial: accidents cost money - civil liability

 Personal: avoid pain, loss, ongoing problem

Backs! 2005 campaign

 5 million lost working days p.a. due to back pain

 8 out of 10 suffer back pain in their life in the UK
 www.hse.gov.uk/betterbacks/index.htm

 Wider context – 2008/9:

 180 fatalities at work
 130,000 other major injuries
Manual handling quiz

What proportion of reported workplace accidents

result from manual handling?
a. 13% 2008/9 Reported injuries
b. 25%
c. 38% Other
13%
d. 63% Handling
Falls
8% 38%
Struck by
15%

Slips/trips
26%
Manual handling quiz

Which of the following types of workplace has the

highest proportion of accidents resulting from
manual handling?
a. Health care % Injuries caused by manual handling
b. Retail
c. Construction Health care

d. Agriculture
Construction
Furniture
Textiles
Retail
Chemicals
Agriculture

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Sites of >3 day injury caused by handling

Finger / thumb
15%

Lower limb
5%
Back
Upper limb 47%
11%

Hand
6%

Other
16%
Types of injury from manual
handling
 Fractures
 Damage to muscles, ligaments and tendons
 Spinal disc injuries
 Trapped nerves
 Abrasions and cuts
 Burns
 Work related upper limb disorders
 Hernias
 Death
Work related upper limb
disorders
 WRULD or repetitive strain injuries (RSI)
 Tennis elbow
 Carpal tunnel syndrome
 Frozen shoulder

 Caused by:
 Repetitive activities
 Carrying out an activity for a long period of time without
adequate rest intervals
 Poor posture / non-neutral joint positions
Cause of injury

 Traumatic stress

 Cumulative stress

 Degenerative change

 Psychological causes


Vulnerable groups

 Old
 Young
 Obese
 Untrained
 Those with existing injury
 Tired
 Pregnant women
3 most important things

 Family
 Home
 Relationships
 Wealth / ability to earn
 Leisure / sports
 Health
Anatomy
 Vertebrae & discs

Cartilage Nucleus
 Discs

www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article1431.html
Prolapsed disc
Stresses without a load
The lever principle
Centre of gravity

X
X
Centre of gravity
Centre of gravity

X
X
Centre of gravity
Muscles

Active and support

Relaxed muscles
Body in neutral position
Static muscle fatigue
Use of major muscle groups
Team handling
What are the problems?
 Example 1
 Example 2

 Planning of lift
 Communication
How to grasp
When to lift
What level to carry
Which route
Set down points on route?
 Co-ordination
 Disparity of individuals: size, speed,
strength
 Awkward areas
Team handling

 1 person = 100%
 2 people = 66% of individual capacity
 3 people = 50% of individual capacity

 1 = 30
 2 = 40
 3 = 45
Team handling

 Consider other options

 Avoid
 Mechanise
 Use manual handling aids
 Split the load

 Run through sequence of events verbally

 Walk the route
 One person take charge of giving instructions
 Stick to established teams if possible
Problem loads

 Unexpected issues
Light
Heavy
Centre of gravity
 Intrinsically harmful
Staples
Acids
 Unpredictable
behaviour
Partly fixed load
Liquids – centre of
gravity
Poor sealing of
container
 Safe manual handling
 If unavoidable
 Assess the load
 Centre of gravity of load close to your own
 Avoid twisting or bending
Move the feet
 Lead with the head
 Relaxation / stability
 Use natural postures
 Use the major muscle groups
 Communication
 Use safe handling technique
FLUENCY

 A mnemonic
 Feet
 Load
 Unlock
 Even
 Natural
 Control
 Your back
FLUENCY

Feet
Working environment

Footwear

Pointing in right direction

Slightly wider than shoulder width

One foot leading

Close to load
FLUENCY

Feet
Working environment

Footwear

Pointing in right direction

Slightly wider than shoulder width

One foot leading

Close to load
FLUENCY

Feet
Load
Last minute check

Can it be improved?
Presentations

 Laptops
 Presentations
 5-10 min for each person
 Different topic for each group member
 Encourage
 Notes for structure
 Own words / examples
 Innovative ideas
 Interactive exercises
 1 set of overheads per group
Presentations

 Consider
 Discussion
 Flipchart
 OHTs
 Models
 Demonstration
 Guinea pigs
 Games / exercises
 Participation & questions
Typical presentation topics

 Introduction (why, definitions & driving forces

etc)
 Statistics (pts of body, sectors & quiz etc)
 Types of injuries
 Causes of injury (stresses & vulnerable groups)
 (Anatomy)
 Centre of gravity (crane, lever & “weight limits”)
 Pushing & pulling
 Team handling
 Muscles / problem loads
 FLUENCY
 Law
 Risk assessment
Pushing and pulling

 Pushing generally preferable:

 Operator slip or trip – no load impact
 Less risk of pulling load onto feet & ankles
 No twisting to see where you are going
 Better position for arm joints
 Compression forces on arm & shoulder
 Can often use both hands
 Cage less likely to tip if fixed wheels leading
 But:
 Visibility may be hindered
 http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr009.pdf
Pushing and pulling considerations
 Wheels:
 Initial direction & obstructions
 Size
 Fixed or rotating
 Load:
 Stability / safety
 Visibility
 Route
 Obstructions
 Slopes
 Hands
 Between waist and shoulder height
 Neutral position
 Avoiding impacts
 Legs: “A” frame to overcome inertia
 Travel
 Slow speed
 Avoid starting & stopping
Manual Handling Operations
Regulations 1992
 Identify manual handling tasks with significant potential for injury
 Can task be avoided?
 Can it be mechanised?

 If not, conduct risk assessment to reduce risk to lowest level reasonably

practicable
Manual Handling Operations
Regulations 1992
 Employers responsibility
 Conduct risk assessments
 Reduce risk of injury as far as to lowest level reasonably practicable
 Employees responsibility

To use safe systems and procedures

coming from the risk assessment
Control measures

 Eliminate the need for task

 Automate
 Manual handling aids
 People measures
 Safe handling techniques
 Team handling
 Personal protective equipment
Risk assessment

 A logical way of assessing a situation to reduce risk

 Simple, consistent and repeatable
 Lead to action plan and improvement
 Conducted by a competent person
 Regularly reviewed
 After an accident
 If workplace or practices change
Risk assessment

 Hazard
 Something with the potential to cause harm

 Risk
 Likelihood of the harm occurring and its severity
What factors contribute to manual
handling risk?
 Task
 Load
 Working environment
 Individual capability
 Or
 Task
 Individual Capability
 Load
 Environment
Control measures

Task:
 Machinery and
manual handling aids
 Improving work routine
Vary work tasks
Provide sufficient rest
periods
 Team handling
 Improving task layout
Control measures

Load
Lighter
Smaller
Easier to grasp
E.g. handles on a sphere
More stable
E.g. trolley / mechanised
system for half full drum of
liquid
Less damaging to hold
Control measures

 Working environment:
 Improve workplace layout
 Improve floor condition
 Keep to one level
 Improve environmental conditions
 Good housekeeping
Control measures

 Individual capabilities:
 Personal considerations - age, build etc.
 Information and training
 Good handling technique
 Supervision
 Abdominal and back support belts (PPE)
Training
Trainers – what do you
need?
 Thorough knowledge of the topic
 Structure
 Lesson plan
 Overheads
 Flipchart

 Preparation
 Enthusiasm & confidence
 Body language
 Varied voice
 Wording
Training

 Interaction
 Open questions
 Listen to answers
 Positive response

 Divert attention from yourself

 Example
 Clothing
 Ability of the students
 Pauses and repetitive words
Training

 Overcoming barriers
 Your training sessions
 Test for participants
 Record keeping
 Certification for participants
Planning a lesson
 Beginning: “tell them what you are about to te
What are you going to cover
Why: aims and objectives
Incentives: explain what the students can g
 Middle: “tell them”
Contains the main theme
Use questions to gain participation and che
results
 End: “tell them what you have told them”
Reinforce the main points
Look forward