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About Manual Handling

Manual handling is defined as the transporting or supporting of a load. It includes lifting, pushing, pulling, carrying, moving and setting down. Incorrect manual handling causes over one third of workplace injuries so it is important that anyone expected to carry out manual handling tasks is properly trained to do so safely.

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Main Causes of Manual Handling Injury in the Workplace

Accidents when manual handling, lifting or carrying are among the most common type of non-fatal injury in the workplace. Injury while lifting, carrying or moving loads accounts for 18% of all non-fatal workplace accidents.

Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD)

These include neck and upper limb disorders, lower limb disorders, back pain and back injuries and damage to joints or other tissues in the body.

Sprains, Strains or Pulled Muscles

A sprain is a painful twisting of the ligaments of a joint.

A strain or pulled muscle injury is caused by a tear in the muscle fibres.

Cuts and Abrasions

Often caused by rough or sharp edges on objects.

Prolapsed Discs

A rupture of the cartilage of a spinal disc.

Hernia

A rupture in the lower abdomen caused by excessive strain on the muscles.

Crush Injuries

Caused by falling loads or trapped limbs.

Who’s Responsible for Manual Handling Safety in Your Workplace?

The Employer

As an employer, it is your responsibility to make sure the workplace is a safe environment for your staff and for visitors. In order to do so, you must protect your workers from the risk of injury from hazardous manual handling tasks.

Employees

Everyone in the workplace has a duty to protect themselves and others. Employees must follow safe systems of work, use equipment including PPE properly, inform management if they identify and hazardous manual handling activities and take care to ensure they do not put others at risk.

FAQ

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations (MHOR) legislation refers to any manual handling tasks undertaken at work. Manual handling is defined by the regulations as the transport or support of a load by hand or bodily force. This includes lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying, manoeuvring or transporting.

Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (MHOR)  state that an employer must:

  • Avoid the need for hazardous manual handling, so far as is reasonably practicable
  • Assess the risk of injury from any manual handling task that cannot be avoided
  • Reduce the risk of injury from manual handling, so far as is reasonably practicable

The regulations apply to manual handling activities involving the transporting or supporting of loads, including lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving loads. A load may be either inanimate, for example a box or a trolley, or animate, for example a person or an animal. The risks from manual handling can be found across all kinds of workplaces – on farms and building sites, in factories, offices, warehouses, hospitals, banks, laboratories and while making deliveries.

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