Manual Handling & Training
Everyone in an organisation has a responsibility towards the
safe moving of loads.
Employers Duties
An employer you should:
- Avoid the necessity for dangerous manual handling techniques,
as far as reasonably practicable
- Assess the risks from any dangerous handling situations
that are unavoidable
- Reduce the risk of injury from dangerous manual handling
as far as is reasonably practicable (this means weighing
up the benefit of reducing the risk with the amount of time,
effort or money to do so)
- Consult employees about risks and their controls
Employees Duties
An employee should:
- Follow safety rules for their work
- Use any safety equipment provided
- Co-operate with the employer
- Inform the employer if dangerous manual handling methods
are used
Avoid Manual Handling
The most effective way of avoiding injury is to not move items
at all. So it may be best to consider the following:
-
Automation
For example a repetitive process in a factory could be automated
to avoid strain injury.
-
Mechanisation
A fork-lift truck could be used to move larger items.
When considering new methods, it is important to be aware
of any new hazards that may create new opportunities for injury.
Lifting equipment and new maintenance procedures may require
training.
Making an assessment
It is the employer’s responsibility to carry out an
assessment, often aided by employees. Ouch Training Team can
offer advice to get you started and the relevant training if
a need is identified.
You do not need to do assessments for each individual employee,
an overall assessment for employees who carry out similar duties
is sufficient.
Using an assessment
It is important to identify the risk of injury and improvements
that can be made. The assessment should be used to identify
the worst aspects of work practices and remedy them first.
An assessment should also be updated if significant changes
are made.
How training can help
Training can cover the following areas:
- How to recognise dangerous manual handling
- Identifying suitable ways of working
- Use of mechanical aids
- Good handling methods
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