Manual Handling Awareness
30 August 2024
Manual handling awareness is just part of a range of preventative measures that should be taken to prevent injuries at work. To understand this, we have to define Manual handling. Manual handling is any activity that includes lifting or putting down, pulling or pushing, carrying, supporting or moving an object, person or animal using the hand or any other part of the body. Many people wrongly assume that manual handling only applies when items are lifted. However, this is not fully true, as manual handling could be any movement of an object.
Common Injuries due to poor Manual Handling Awareness
The purpose of Manual Handling Training and raising awareness of proper manual handling techniques is to prevent workplace injuries. The most common causes of manual handling injuries are:
- Poor posture.
- Heavy lifting or using excessive force.
- Excessive repetition of a task.
- Lack of time to recover from a task.
- Twisting and stopping activities.
- Pushing or pulling loads over a prolonged distance.
- Reaching or lifting away from the body.
- Standing or sitting in a static position without regular changes in posture.
- Person’s own susceptibility to injury.
About a third of all workplace accidents reported are as a direct result of manual handling, lifting and carrying.
Business Costs of Manual Handling Injuries
Manual handling injuries resulting from poor manual handling awareness can have a serious effect on both, employers and employees. For example, the following might count as business costs:
- Legal advice and insurance costs.
- Legal action, possibly including compensations.
- Sick pay.
- Lost production and sales.
- Equipment and stock losses or damages.
- Time and money spent on investigation and improvements.
- Recruitment and payment of cover/replacement staff.
Human Costs of Manual Handling Injuries
When compared to human costs, business costs are insignificant. The human costs are usually long term and significant. For example:
- Pain and suffering.
- Disability, possibly long-term.
- Health care and rehabilitation.
- Loss of earnings.
- Emotional and financial burden on family.
- Potential loss of life.
Reducing the Risks and promoting Manual Handling Awareness
Employers are required by law to assess manual handling tasks with the aim of avoiding or reducing risks. Trained employees have a legal duty to follow safe working practices and use the correct techniques they have been shown.
As previously mentioned, human and business costs that manual handling injuries cause can be significant. Therefore, avoidance of injury in the first place should be the main focus. In other words, avoidance of injury is to everyone’s advantage. To that end, when we talk about manual handling, both employer and employee must consider:
- The Hazard – Things that have potential to do harm.
- The Risk – The likelihood of the hazard actually doing harm.
- Control Measures – Actions or procedures put into place to reduce risk to an acceptable level.
Manual Handling Awareness Training
Manual handling training for employees, is part of a range of preventative measures that should be taken to prevent injuries at work. This is why eLearn Safety has developed a fully online Manual Handling Awareness course. This course can stand alone and can be used as a regular refresher on manual handling theory. In addition, it can be part of a blended manual handling training. In that case, following completion of the theory online, each participant will have to complete the practical session which consists of:
- Practical scenarios.
- Kinetic principles.
- Written assessment based on all of the course content.
This blended learning training course has been designed by qualified tutors to assist the employer to comply with current legislation. In addition, it will inform and educate an employee how to prevent injuries by teaching them good manual handling techniques.
In addition, the Health and Safety Authority of Ireland (HSA) offers a significant amount of resources in relation to Manual Handling via their Workplace Health section of their website.
Online Health and Safety Training
Proactive Health and Safety training is critical to ensure a safe workplace. An effective training program can reduce the number of worker injuries and deaths. It can also reduce instances of property damage, legal liability, illnesses, and missed time from work.
Health and Safety training helps establish a culture in which employees themselves help promote proper safety procedures while on the job. It is important that new employees be properly trained and embrace the importance of workplace safety. The role of training in developing and maintaining effective hazard control activities is a proven and successful method of intervention.
This is why we have established Myelearnsafety school. We pride ourselves in how we guide, support and mentor our students. They receive support throughout their learning experience and into their working lives. Our staff have extensive training experience and also have many years industry experience. We understand the challenges that exist within Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety. Our priority is to ensure that all learners are fully prepared to differentiate themselves in the workplace after completing our Health and Safety courses.
Myelearnsafety offers fully online Health and Safety courses.
To find out more, please check our Courses page.
Alternatively, should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to let us know via email info@elearn.ie
eLearn Safety – Online Health and Safety Training