What is Manual Handling: Types, Importance, and How to Prioritise

Activities in daily life and the workplace include some level of Manual Handling. As a result, it is important to understand “What is Manual Handling?” It describes the action of lifting, moving, pushing, or pulling something by hand rather than with equipment like a Forklift Crane or Conveyor Systems. 

If done incorrectly, it can result in various ailments, ranging from Muscle Strain to severe Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs).  This blog dives into “What is Manual Handling?” in conjunction with workplace standards and the proper planning and execution of Manual Handling procedures.   

Table of Contents 

1) Understanding What is Manual Handling 

2) Manual Handling Responsibilities of Employers

3) Manual Handling Responsibilities of Members

4) How to Avoid Manual Handling Injuries? 

5) Consequences of Poor Manual Handling Safety

6) Key Principles of Manual Handling Safety

7) What is the Maximum Weight That Can Be Lifted Manually?  

8) Are There Tools or Equipment to Assist With Manual Handling?

9) Conclusion

What is Manual Handling? 

Manual handling is defined as inclined or vertical lifting or lowering or transportation of load by using hand or by bodily strength. Manual handling accidents are the most frequent type of accident in the workplace and the risks associated with manual handling remain a concern for nearly every member.

The consequences arising from manual handling accidents can be so severe that they lead to a permanent change in both the personal and professional lives of those affected, highlighting the critical importance of understanding Manual Handling Responsibilities to prevent such incidents.

It is not only a problem for workers involved directly with manual handling of items, as nearly every worker can expect to move an object at some point in their work cycle.
 

Manual Handling Responsibilities for Employers 

There are several important duties that employers must meet to safeguard their worker’s well-being when carrying out Manual Handling operations. These include: 

1) Risk Assessment: Employers need to ensure they undertake risk assessments on a frequent basis to have a list of the risks connected with Manual Handling tasks in a workplace. This should involve factors such as the load weight, the position and the manner of handling it. 

2) Control Measures: According to the risk evaluations, employers must practice protective methods regarding risks. This may include adjusting and redesigning workstations, utilising lifting appliances or developing ways of moving heavy objects through techniques such as mechanisation (wherever possible). 

3) Training and Education: Employers are required to ensure that their employees receive the correct instructions in relation to safe manual load handling. This training should correspond to the assignments that the employees will be performing and the tools that will be utilised.

4) Provide Adequate Equipment: They should provide their employees with the basic equipment for manually operated lifting aids. These include trolleys and mechanical Hoists for Manual Handling tasks to reduce physical stress significantly.

5) Encourage Proper Technique: Employers should ensure that employees follow proper working postures and lifting practices to avoid unsafe back and knee bending and twisting movements. This helps prevent injuries and fosters a safer workplace.

6) Monitor and Review: Employers should perform regular monitoring and safety checking, ensuring they adhere to Common Safety Standards. It involves checking tasks that require Manual Handling and conducting risk assessments to implement and update appropriate measures.

7) Health and Safety Support: They should check for any kind of visibility for health and safety concerns. Accordingly, they file the report and act on Manual Handling operations.

8) Promote a Safe Working Environment:  A clean, well-lit, organised, and ergonomic work environment helps prevent Manual Handling risks while helping foster employee health.

Manual Handling Responsibilities for Members  

Worker representatives also have responsibilities to ensure the proper completion of Manual Handling tasks for themselves and others. Their common responsibilities include: 

1) Follow Training and Instructions: Worker representatives should ensure their members are well-trained in the Manual Handling procedures established for safe item handling.

2) Use Equipment Properly: When using equipment like trolleys or lifting devices to perform Manual Handling tasks, they should ensure its proper functionality. This helps avoid incurring any minor or catastrophic injury.

3) Report Hazards: Every member should provide their employer with any hazards, faulty or unsafe equipment and accident-leading conditions. 

4) Assess Before Lifting: The workers should, whenever possible, evaluate whether the load can be lifted without causing undue stress to the upper and lower back muscles. 

5) Maintain Proper Technique: In every situation, members should avoid twisting while lifting, use their legs instead of their back, and hold the object close to their body.

6) Communicate with Team Members: Manual operations such as lifting require joint coordination. They should be able to communicate with each other in such situations. Such practices are crucial for compliance with the Manual Handling Operations Regulations.

7) Stay Physically Prepared: To reduce Manual Handling risks, personal preventive measures can be recommended, such as maintaining good personal health through stretching and physical fitness.

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How to Avoid Manual Handling Injuries? 

All Manual Handling jobs must be thoroughly evaluated and planned in case of any sort of injury to the workers. Following are some steps that need to be followed to avoid Manual Handling injuries:

Step 1 - Plan and Check for Dangers

Learn to look at every single undertaking lifting operation and evaluate it thoroughly.  Be aware of any potential hazards, including shiny, smooth, or damaged surfaces, and any objects that might obstruct your path.  Make sure that the load you are lifting is optimally weighted and not too light or too heavy.  

Step 2 - Check Your Balance and Position

Stand beside the load with your legs equally distributed across both sides, depending on your height, to feel balanced. Always make sure that you have a good grip on the load. Also, try to keep your spine as straight as possible to prevent any sort of body strain.

Stand beside the load with your legs equally distributed across both sides depending on your height to feel balanced. Always make sure that you have a good grip. Do not lean in ways that may cause your body strain. Also, try to keep your spine straight as possible.

Step 3 - Use Your Legs for Lifting

The principle here is to bend your knees and not on your stomach. Instead, rely on your leg muscles for lifting. The reason here is your legs are far stronger than your back. Tuck the load as close to your body as possible to reduce your lower spine compression and avoid too many forward or backward movements.  

Step 4 - Lift in a Fluid Motion

Pick the load with as minimal jerks as possible. Ensure that you do not struggle with the task at any point. Also, make sure your head is up, and both your eyes are pointing in the direction of the nose rather than down to keep the spine aligned.

Step 5 - Ensure Visibility and Awareness

Ensure that the load is not obstructing your viewpoint. You should have a good understanding of where you are going. Look around you and see people, doors and any other object on your path. Try to invite your near workers, for example, to the common area during teamwork or when using a tall-lifting device in order to prevent accidents.

Consequences of Poor Manual Handling Safety

There are vast amounts of injuries arising from improper manual handling techniques. Out of these, the majority of the conditions are certain and involve complex body movements. These include muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, or spinal discs. Among the most prevalent are:  

1) Back Injuries: Lifting that is done improperly may result in back strains and sprains and even give rise to severe problems like Herniated Discs. Such injuries are normally serious and take a long time to heal.

2) Shoulder and Neck Injuries: When the lift force intersects with the direction of the force, it increases the pressure exerted, particularly stressing the neck and shoulder muscles. If this is done poorly or frequently, it can lead to strain or chronic pain.

3) Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI): Such injuries are chronic, and they occur as a result of incorrect motions that have been repeatedly made. RSIs can be located almost anywhere in the body and are often very painful.

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Key Principles of Manual Handling Safety

Manual Handling safety is crucial to avoid occurrences of injuries in workplaces and homes. While employers may tailor their approaches, manual handling generally involves four key principles, which align with established Principles of Manual Handling, as shown below. 

1) Assessment: Before moving or lifting an object, the workers should assess its weight and size and assess how it should be lifted. The recommended training for task appraisal enables employees to determine if they need additional support, whether through tools or extra help, thereby avoiding unrecognised risks.

2) Proper Technique: Safe handling does not require strength but requires proper methods when handling stuff manually. To perform correctly, they should bend their knees; the load should touch the worker’s bodies. Moreover, the workers should not twist or overextend when lifting the load.   

3) Training: Worker training plays a major role in promoting correct and systematic manual handling instructions, especially in endangered regions. Confirmations and revision courses ensure that risky habits are corrected, eliminating the need for repeated advisory-training-revision cycles. This way, everyone consistently applies what they have learned.

4) Equipment: When tasks require more force, then it is simply impossible to perform them with manual strength. For this, specific tools like Trolleys, Hoists, and Conveyor Belts are made available to minimise pulling and lifting while upping on safety measures.

What is the Maximum Weight That Can Be Lifted Manually? 

The UK government sets no hard-and-fast rule regarding the maximum limit. This is because no matter how heavy or light a load is, it can cause injury if handled appropriately. For this reason, the safety officer or field manager is responsible for taking care of the limit and ensuring it does not exceed the prescribed threshold.

However, according to the legal manual handling guidelines, a man's maximum load is 25 kg and 16 kg for women. This threshold is also dependent on whether you are lifting on your waist length or arm length. If arm length, the permissible limit is reduced to 20 kg for men and 11 kg for women.

Are There Tools or Equipment to Assist With Manual Handling?

Yes, there are certain tools and equipment to assist you with safe Manual Handling. Among the most frequently used ones are lifting harnesses, which distribute your weight equally across all body parts, helping you lift awkwardly shaped loads safely. Additionally, there are Scissor Lift Tables, which find their applications in assembly, packaging, and maintenance-related tasks. 

You can also find a few automatic pieces of equipment, such as Hand Trucks, Pallet Trucks, and Cranes, which can lift cumbersome loads vertically for construction, manufacturing, and maintenance. For Assembly shops and Warehouses, Conveyor Belts are hugely useful for carrying loads horizontally from one place to another. When considering the Manual Handling Hierarchy, it's important to assess the tasks that can be automated using such equipment to reduce manual strain and improve efficiency. This hierarchy ensures that manual handling is only used when absolutely necessary, with automated solutions taking precedence wherever possible.

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Conclusion 

To minimise injuries and promote workplace safety, it is essential to understand What is Manual Handling and the associated measures and procedures. By evaluating the manual tasks of the workplace workers, removing obstacles, and learning the proper way to lift loads, these procedures help foster overall job satisfaction and protect against immediate and catastrophic injuries.

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