If you are a small business owner or employer, your employees may be involved in some manual tasks at work. These could include picking up things or detailed actions including physical effort. By definition, manual handling is the act of pushing, pulling, or using other bodily force to lift and carry loads.
Many businesses require their workers to perform some manual handling. Whether it’s retail workers stacking shelves or factory workers assembling products on conveyor belts. Any task, if performed poorly, incorrectly, or for too long – can pose a risk of injury.
The most common types of injury are lower back pains, neck pain, and problems with shoulders and arms – including forearm, elbow, wrist, hand, and fingers. These injuries can result from lifting a heavy or unbalanced load only once, or from continually lifting a heavy or unbalanced load. Sometimes these injuries lead to permanent disability and expensive compensation claims.
You can reduce disruption to your business by reviewing the tasks your employees do manually and working out how to avoid injuries.
Examples of manual handling
Regardless of what industry you are involved in, many businesses require their workers to do manual handling tasks that are potentially harmful. Even remaining stationary for long periods can result in short or long-term injury.
Some examples of manual handling tasks include:
- Pushing and pulling trolleys
- Operating machinery
- Packing boxes
- Lifting heavy equipment or objects
- Leaning over to scan grocery items or wash dishes.
Types of manual handling injuries
Understanding the type of manual handling required in the workplace, and the effect it has on the human body can go a long way to preventing injury.
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are the most common type of injury and disease that occurs due to manual handling. These injuries affect the musculoskeletal system (i.e. bones of the skeleton, ligaments, joints, and cartilage) and restrict movement of the human body.
Depending on the activity that leads to the injury, MSD can occur in the form of:
- Sprains, strains, and direct blows to muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
- Back injuries include damage to the muscles, spinal discs, nerves, joints, and bones.
- Injuries to joints and bones, along with injuries to the shoulder, neck, arms, elbows, legs, knees, wrist, hip, hands and feet.
- Soft tissue injuries (e.g. hernias).
- Chronic pain that lasts for three months or longer.
- Acute pain that lasts for less than three months.
- Muscular and vascular disorders as a result of hand or arm vibration.
Some manual tasks may also be hazardous or dangerous. Hazardous manual tasks are tasks that require a person to lift, lower, push, pull, carry or otherwise move, hold or restrain any person, animal or thing that involves one or more of the following:
- Repetitive or sustained force.
- Repetitive movement.
- High or sudden force.
- Sustained or awkward postures.
- Exposure to vibration.
Hazards can come from work tasks and how they’re performed or poor work design and management. They can also be the result of physical work environments or the way tools, equipment and objects are handled.
Steps to reduce manual handling injuries – training and risk assessment
Teaching your employees how to correctly perform manual tasks is an effective way to prevent injuries and avoid expensive claims.
Many private training organisations offer face-to-face training at your chosen location and convenient online courses to suit your needs. By professionally training your workers on proper manual handling techniques, they will learn how to:
- Identify the risks and hazards of manual handling.
- Be familiar with workplace safety requirements and obligations.
- Correctly use mechanical aids.
- Adopt the correct lifting techniques.
- Handle different manual handling scenarios related to their role or position
In some cases, you may not need formal training to identify and manage a risk. Introducing mechanical aids or making small changes to work processes or procedures can go a long way to minimising risks.
The weight of the load is critical but also important is the frequency of lifting, posture while lifting, the surrounding environment, and the employee’s physical fitness. When you assess any manual handling, always consider the task, individual, load, and environment.
You should also have manual handling posters around the workplace to inform employees how to perform certain tasks correctly. Make sure your employees always follow the operating instructions and limitations set by the manufacturer of any products or equipment they are handling.
You can eliminate risks of manual tasks or manual handling with good work design. For example, automating any task or systems to eliminate the need for workers to carry loads.
Workers compensation
Employees who become sick or injured due to work are, in most circumstances, entitled to compensation.
Employers must help sick and injured employees gain access to the advice, guidance, and financial support they need to recover and, where possible, return to work safely.
Compensation claim payouts are given to employees in one of three ways:
- Directly from the insurer to the employee.
- From the insurer through to you.
- Through an approved workers’ compensation regulator.
Each state and territory has its regulations when it comes to workers’ compensation. Therefore, how and where you go to submit a worker’s compensation claim and the amount of money the employee can expect to receive, will depend on the relevant state and territory.
Peninsula can advise you on best practices in manual handling. For peace of mind, call our 24/7 helpline.
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