Many of the problems that cause back pain are the result of injury and damage to a disc. Bending over results in pressure on the discs, and may also cause a disc to bulge backward towards the spine. Twisting and bending together put the greatest stress on the spine, especially on the discs, and are examples of work conditions that increase the risk of back injury. The picture below illustrates some examples of work conditions that involve risk:. Refer to the Manual Handling Risk Assessment Video Series for examples how to conduct a risk assessment of a manual handling task:.
Are there appropriate guidance documents to refer to for advice and direction on how to comply with the. There are four guidance documents available in relation to the Manual Handling of Loads Regulation. Is there any guidance document I can refer to for information on the Manual Handling Training System?
What is the current guidance on course content of a manual handling training course for employees? As part of this guidance the FETAC Level 6 was the level agreed for manual handling instructors and systems are in place for instructors to achieve this qualification.
The content of training programmes to be delivered by an instructor should meet the requirements set out in Appendix 3 of the H. It is our view that manual handling training needs to be carried out in line with these requirements to ensure that employees have adequate and appropriate knowledge or training. This manual handling framework offers guidance to employers and other duty holders on what is considered best practice. Refresher training will be at intervals not more than every three years and when there is any major change in the work involved or equipment used or when an employee is transferred to another activity requiring different loads to be handled.
Are there minimum requirements for the duration of manual handling training courses for employees? The Health and Safety Authority do not specify time duration for manual training courses. The duration of the training course should be tailored to the number and complexity of the handling procedures being taught. The employers must satisfy themselves that the instructor who delivers the course covers the relevant topics comprehensively.
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Workplace Transport Safety Load Securing. Accidents and Behaviour Bullying at Work. Workplace Stress. The key requirements include: Carrying out a manual handling risk assessment of existing manual handling tasks before making an informed decision on what manual handling tasks need to be avoided or reduced.
Organising tasks to allow the use of mechanical or other means to avoid or reduce the need for the manual handling of loads by employees in the workplace. This includes:.
All these actions are relevant, and if it means repeating something, maintaining a sustained posture, or exposing yourself to vibrations, then you are carrying out manual handling tasks. The nature of some jobs means that these activities are frequent every working day, which is why manual handling is so relevant to the workplace.
If these actions involve particularly heavy loads, or straining the individual, this is when incidents happen and injuries occur. Musculoskeletal Disorders MSD are the particular problems that come from manual handling. An MSD is an injury affecting the bones or soft tissue structure of the body. Examples include sprains of ligaments, strains of muscles or tendons, and injuries to the spine, joints, bones or nerves.
Not only are manual handling accidents an inconvenience to the individual left out of work and in pain, but it also causes a massive drain on resources for the employers.
This is because they have to cover costs towards the days lost, a decrease in productivity, legal fees, and the cost of training or retraining staff members. The manageability and preventability of manual handling means that it can easily be avoided, saving everyone a lot of pain and money — so everybody wins! These problems can occur in the first place for these five reasons, all of which are areas that can be dealt with by employers:. A year-old library assistant had to move 80, books from one area of the library to another over a four-month period.
She had to pack the books into boxes that would reach weights of 22kg each! She then had to load them onto trolleys and take them to the new destination. The librarian hadn't been trained in manual handling techniques so developed back pain as a result of the persistent heavy lifting.
She told her manager about the pain and took three days off to rest. On returning to work she was told to carry on with moving the boxes. This pain increased to such level that her back eventually seized up altogether, and despite seeking treatment to help her to manage the discomfort, she continued to suffer from chronic back pain which prevented her from working.
Her employer didn't offer her alternative light duties so she was dismissed on grounds of medical incapability. Identify the manual task hazards 2. Assess the risk of those manual task hazards identified causing injury 3.
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