Delivered to commercial vehicle repair, agricultural engineering, parts and distribution depots throughout the UK

1. Manual Handling
by
Lee Kennedy
KVF Consultants Ltd.

2. Introductions
 Introduction
 Health & safety
 Mobile phones
 Breaks
 Behaviour
 Comfort Breaks

3. Today’s Training Programme
 Causes of Back Pain
 Anatomy and Injury
 Legislation and Risk Assessment
 Correct Body Mechanics and Practical
Techniques
 Video / DVD
 Summary and Test

4. What Risks?
Spot the hazards!

6. Manual Handling
Definition:
The application of human effort
directly, or indirectly, to transport or
support a load

7. Manual Handling Operations
Regulations 1992 – amended 2002
 Applies to:
 Lifting, lowering, pulling or pushing
 Inanimate loads – box or trolley
 Animate – animal or person

8. Manual Handling Hazards
 Lifting a load that is too heavy or cumbersome-
back injuries
 Failing to use a proper lifting/moving technique-
back injuries (Twisting, Stooping, Reaching)
 Failing to grip the load in safe manner-feet
injuries
 Not wearing correct PPE-hand injuries

9. Areas of the Body Injured by
Manual Handling
Finger/Thumb 14%
Back 49%
Rest Of Torso 7%
Arm 10%
Hand/Wrist 9%
Legs
8%
Other 3%
Source: HSE

10. Why Are Back Problems
Increasing?
Two Key Reasons:
1. Our physical condition
2. Increased Medical Management

11. Back Problems
Back problems are seldom
caused by a single injury
The Final Straw !

12. 5 Generic Reasons for Back
Pain
 Poor posture
 Lifting and handling incorrectly
 Stress
 Lifestyle
 Can stem from a poor level of physical
fitness

13. 20 30 32 35 40 50 57 60
BackProblems
Age in Years
Back Problems Peak Between
the Ages of Thirty and Fifty

14. Questions?

15. How Does My Back Work?
• 3 Natural curves
• 33 Vertebrae forming a flexible
column
• Cervical = 7
• Thoracic = 12
• Lumbar = 5
• Sacrum = 5
• Coccyx = 4

17. • Ligaments – Hold the bones together and
add stability of the spine.
• Spinal Cord – Passes down through the
middle of the spinal canal. It is therefore
protected by the vertebrae.
• Spinal Nerves – Branch off at each level
of the vertebral column and carry nerve
impulses (sensory & motor).
• Intervertebral Disc – Separate the bones
and act as a shock absorbers. They allow
free movement.

18. Bones and Joints

19. Spinal Joints & Discs

20. Slipped/Prolapsed disc
 A slipped disc/prolapsed disc
occurs when the annulus gradually
crack open allowing part or all the
nucleus to prolapsed or seep out at
the back of the disc close to the
spinal nerves of the spinal cord are.
This puts pressure on the nerves
causing severe pain
 This is caused by adopting poor
posture e.g. Bending, stretching
twisting and overreaching

21. Sciatica
 More commonly known as
a “trapped nerve”
 Sciatic nerve is largest
nerve in body consisting
of 5 nerve roots.
 Sciatic Nerve most likely
to be trapped as it leaves
the vertebrae as it passes
to the pelvis
 Could be any of the 5
vertebrae of the
lumber spine

22. Sciatica
• Caused by a damaged disc
pressing on nerve root in lower
back
• Pain in rear or leg, worse when
sitting
• Burning/tingling down the leg
•Shooting pain that makes it
difficult to stand up
• Constant pain on one side of the
rear

23. Other Reasons for Back Pain
 Osteoarthritis
 Referred Injury

24. Risk Factors for Yourselves
 In a rush to do a task
 Awkward / critical lifting
 Cold
 Uncontrolled situations
 Inactivity - sitting

25. and …… YOUR LIFESTYLE
Stressful
lifestyle
Poor physical
fitness
Bad mattress
and pillow

26. Avoid
 Does the object need to be moved?
 Can the process be automated?
 Consider mechanisation / handling aids.
 Conveyor
 Pallet truck
 Electric or powered hoist
 Lift truck

27. Assess
Does the task involve?
 Holding loads away from the body
 Twisting, stooping or reaching upwards
 Long carrying distances
 Strenuous pushing or pulling
 Repetitive handling
 Insufficient rest or recovery time

28. Reduce
 To the lowest level “reasonably
practicable”
 TIME v EFFORT v MONEY in proportion
to the benefits
 Mechanical aids can reduce the risk
 They can also improve productivity

29. Employees Duties
 Safe systems of work
 Proper use of equipment
 Co-operation with employer
 Inform employer of hazardous activities
 Do not put others at risk

30. Questions?

31. Good Handling Technique for
Lifting
 Plan the lift
 Can an aid be used?
 Where’s it going
 Do I need help?
 Will I need to rest?

32. Good Handling Technique for
Lifting
The 1 minute Risk Assessment

33. Good Handling Technique for
Lifting
 T - TASK
 I - INDIVIDUAL
 L - LOAD
 E - ENVIRONMENT

34. Task
Twisting
Bending
Stooping
Reaching
Carrying
Pushing
Pulling
Repetitive
Lifting
Lowering
Prolonged
Physical Effort

35. Task – reducing the injury
Can you?
 Use a lifting aid?
 Improve workplace layout?
 Reduce amount of twisting & stooping?
 Avoid lifting from floor to above shoulder
height
 Reduce carrying distances?
 Push rather than Pull

36. Individual
Pregnant?
Trained?
Physical
condition?
Age?
Special Strength
Required?
Warmed Up?
Suitable Clothing?
Tall or Short?

37. Individual – reducing the
injury
Can you:
 Pay particular attention to those who have a
physical weakness
 Take extra care of pregnant workers
 Give your colleagues more info. Eg the range of
tasks they are likely to face
 Provide more training
 Get advice from Occupational health if needed

38. Load
 Heavy?
 Bulky or Unwieldy?
 Difficult to Grasp?
 Unstable or Contents
Likely to Shift?
 Sharp – Rough – Hot
– Potentially
Damaging?

39. Load – reducing the injury
Can you make the load:
 Lighter or less bulky
 Easier to grasp
 More stable
 Less damaging to hold
 If the load comes from elsewhere, have you
asked the employer to help – handles or
smaller packages

40. Environment
Space
constraints?
Uneven/slippery
floor?
Poor lighting
conditions?

41. Environment – reducing the
injury
Can you:
 Remove obstructions to free movement
 Provide better flooring
 Avoid steps & steep ramps
 Prevent extremes of hot & cold
 Wear less restrictive PPE
 Improve lighting
 Ensure PPE is correct for the task

42. Engage ‘TILE’ to Avoid!
The Brickies?

44. Questions?

45. Correct Lifting Procedure
Challenge!!
A volunteer please to show us how
they lift – the rest of the group
decide and we’ll discuss

46. Good Handling Technique for
Lifting
•Adopt a stable position
•Feet apart – 10 and 2 position
•Positioned either side of the load
•Maintain balance

47. Good Handling Technique for
Lifting
At the start of the lift –
•Slightly bend the back, hips and
knees
•Do not stoop!
•Grip the load with the hands – not
with just the fingers!

48. Good Handling Technique for
Lifting
•Keep the head up when handling
•Look ahead and not down at the
load
•Keep the load close to the body
•The heaviest side should be the
side nearest the body

49. Good Handling Technique for
Lifting
•Avoid twisting the back or
leaning sideways
•Keep shoulders level facing in
the same direction as the hips
•Turn by moving the feet

50. Good Handling Technique for
Lifting
 Move smoothly
 Do not jerk or snatch the load
 This can be harder to control and can
increase the risk of injury

51. Good Lifting Technique
Put Down-Then Adjust
 The exact reverse of
the lift
 One foot forward 10
o’clock & 2 o’clock
 Sink slowly down-
place the load
 Position the load once
on the ground

52. Remember – Good Handling
Technique for Lifting
 Do not lift or handle more than your
limit
 There is a difference between what
you can lift and what can be safely
lifted

53. Practical Activity

54. Questions?

56. Lifting Guidelines

57. Twisting
 Reduce guideline weights if:
 The handler twists beyond 45 by 10%
 The handler twists beyond 90 by 20%

58. Frequent Lifting
 Infrequent operators = 30 operations per
hour
 Once or twice per minute reduce by 30%
 5 to 8 per minute reduce by 50%
 More than 12 per minute reduce by 80%

59. If You Hurt Your Back
 Report the incident to your line manager
as soon as possible
 Seek medical advice if in acute pain or
symptoms last longer than 72 hours
 Contact the Occupational Health
Department for advice

60. Questions?

61. Test Time!!

62. Summary

63. Remember!
Healthy disc
Severely unhealthy disc

64. Lifting Techniques

65. Questions?