Manual Handling Legislation and Injuries

Over £100 million is lost to British business each year due to injuries at work associated with incorrect manual handling. Approximately one third of all injuries reported to local authorities are due to incorrect manual handling. Contributory factors are the lack of proper training, supervision, information and instruction.

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (as amended) apply to a wide range of manual handling activities, including lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling or carrying, by hand or by bodily force.

Injuries associated with Manual Handling

More than a third of all over-three-day injuries reported each year to HSE are caused by incorrect manual handling. Injuries to discs, ligaments and muscles are often of a cumulative nature rather than being attributable to any single handling incident. Some 90 percent of back problems are attributable to disc lesions, which cause "pinching" pains. Ligaments and tendons may tear, and hernias may develop after straining the muscle wall tissue. Dropping objects on body parts can cause fractures, abrasions and cuts.

Injuries during manual handling operations are caused by incorrect lifting where forces of compression are made on the spine, ligaments, and tendons; pushing and pulling, particularly where high stresses are exerted on the body when pushing rather than pulling; and, through carrying, as muscles may tire depending upon how the load is being carried.

Common manual handling statistics connected with injuries are:

65% strains
9% superficial
7% contusion
7% other
7% laceration
5% fractures

Sites of injury caused by incorrect handling are:

45% back
16% finger/thumb
13% arm
Remainder affecting the lower limbs, arms and torso.

Reducing the Risk of Injury

The most effective method of combating this problem is to carry out a risk assessment. The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (as amended) establishes a clear hierarchy of measures for dealing with risks from manual handling. These are:

Avoid hazardous manual handling operations so far as reasonably practicable
Assess any hazardous manual handling operations that cannot be avoided
Reduce the risk of injury so far as reasonably practicable

Employers must take into account the task, load, working environment and the individual capability when assessing the task; they will need to consider numerous aspects such as:

Adopting an ergonomic approach in the design of manual handling operations as a whole.
Fit the operation to the individual and not the individual to the operation.
Use mechanical assistance - levers, hoists, trolleys etc.
Involve the workforce.
Refer to industry specific guidance.
Improve the task.
Provide personal protective equipment.
Reduce risk of injury from the load by smaller loads, known weights, no sharp edges.
Improve the working environment - good housekeeping, flooring and lighting
Individual selection - fitness, strength and build
Produce a check list for all Manual Handling Operations (MHO)
Provide training.

Manual Handling Assessment

Risk assessments are required under health and safety regulations. Employers must take into account the task, load, working environment and the individual capability.
Everyone needs to take responsibility for tackling this issue which can affect us all. Taking the simple and sensible precautions described above can collectively work to reduce the misery and cost of manual handling related injuries.

Newflame offers a half-day training course that is tailored to suit your working environment. This course identifies the dangers of lifting goods and looks at how to reduce the risks with both practical and theoretical advice. For further information, specifically on the main problem area of back pain in the workplace and related campaigns, please see: Health and safety website