This section of our website looks at some of the ‘Principles of Safe Handling’ and will assist those who are responsible for safe handling practices under increasingly comprehensive and demanding health and safety regulations. The guide includes links to useful sources of information.
Many factors involved in health and safety are open to interpretation and sometimes a measure of assistance is required in placing the right equipment in the right place at the right time and at the right cost. In addition to this short guide and other publications we offer a free advisory service on all aspects of materials handling, which can involve site visits and demonstrations, underpinned by a sixty year tradition of first class service.
Facts and Figures
Statistics for 2006/7 from the Health & Safety Executive reveal that out of 36 million days - 1.5 days per worker – lost to work-related accident or illness, some 6 million were due to workplace injury. They make sobering reading for anyone running a business and with responsibility for workers.
- 241 workers killed at work
- 141, 350 other injuries reported (RIDDOR)
- 274,000 reportable injuries occurred (Labour Force Survey)
Falling from height, being struck by a moving vehicle or a moving or falling object accounted for 48% of fatal injuries and whilst the number of moving vehicle-related deaths and those caused by falls from height decreased, the number of fatalities from being struck by a moving or falling object rose by 18%.
Slipping or tripping, although showing a decrease, remained the most common cause of major injuries (38%). The second most common kind of major injury were those sustained while ‘handling, lifting or carrying’ though accidents in this category remained the most common reason for ‘over-3-day’ injuries. Falls from height led to a small increase in injuries. Interestingly, of these some 68% involved falls from less than 2 metres.
Every employer has a statutory duty of care to its employees and the law is clear as to the responsibilities of both employers and employees in respect of the health and safety of workers as well as to the penalties available should they not be met.
In 2006/7 HSE issued 8071 enforcement notices and prosecuted 1141 offences, both substantial increases on the previous year. Over 840 cases led to convictions with an average penalty of £15,370. Several fines well in excess of £100,000 were issued and several high profile cases received considerable media coverage.
Amongst local authorities, the most recent data from 2005/6 indicates that whilst the number of prosecutions for health and safety-related offences fell, a conviction rate of 96% was the highest for ten years.
Key pieces of legislation affecting any workplace in which goods or materials are handled by the use of mechanical aids include:
Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER)
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg290.pdf
Lifting equipment includes any equipment used at work to lift or lower loads and includes attachments used for anchoring, fixing or supporting them. It includes cranes, fork lift trucks, lifts and hoists.
These regulations require this equipment to be strong and stable enough for the particular use and marked with safe working loads, positioned and installed to minimise any risks and to be used safely in that the work is planned, organised and carried out by ‘competent people. Equipment must also be subject to ongoing thorough examination and, where appropriate, inspection by ‘competent people’ and records kept.
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg291.pdf
These require equipment to be suitable for the intended use, safe for use and correctly maintained as such and, where applicable, inspected and records kept. Equipment should be provided with suitable safety measures such as protective devices, markings and warnings and should be operated only by people who have received ‘adequate and appropriate information, instruction and training’.
Although your employees do not have duties under LOLER and PUWER, they do have general duties under both the Health and Safety at Work Act and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requiring them to take reasonable care of themselves and others who may be affected by their actions and to co-operate with others.
It is worth noting that the regulations apply to anywhere that the HSW Act applies including shops, offices, hotels and places of entertainment as well as factories, warehouses and other industrial premises.
Both employers and employees are subject to the Materials Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (as amended 2002) and these apply to a wide range of manual handling activities, including lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling or carrying whether or not carried out using ‘equipment’.
With more than a third of all over-three-day injuries reported each year to HSE and local authorities being caused by manual handling - the transporting or supporting of loads by hand or by bodily force - this guidance gives useful, practical advice for employers, managers, safety representatives and individual employees on how to reduce the risk of injury from manual handling.
Besides the personal cost of accidents and illness, businesses can also be affected through lost output, damage to goods and machinery, increases in insurance costs and the possible financial implications of prosecution. A safe working environment and a good safety record remain key building blocks of a company’s reputation.
Given that a shop worker using a pair of steps to reach a carton on an upper shelf and a warehouse operative moving pallets in a vast distribution centre are both involved in ‘manual handling’ it is clear that the legislation applies to all sorts of organisations in a wide range of industries.
Whether specifically involved in the materials handling sector or operating in an environment where some degree of manual handling is undertaken, all organisations have to carry out assessments of risks to health and safety in the workplace.
A risk assessment should contribute to protecting your workers and your business and help you to comply with the law. The HSE suggests a ‘five step’ approach:
- Identify hazards
- Decide who might be harmed and how
- Evaluate the risks and decide on precaution
- Record and evaluate findings
- Review and update as necessary
It is important not to overcomplicate the procedure and in many organisations risks are well known and managed. Often, simple and seemingly obvious steps - clearing spillages and keeping floors clear of obstacles for example - are both cheap and effective. Managers of small companies may well be capable of carrying out assessments. Larger organisations may call in a safety advisor or indeed have their own health and safety professional.
The chart below provides a step-by-step method of assessing risks and removing or minimising them by:
- AVOIDING hazards in manual handling
- ASSESSING hazardous operations that cannot be avoided
- REMOVING or REDUCING the risk of injury
- MONITORING procedures to ensure effectiveness
The document Getting to grips with manual handling - A short guide - http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg143.pdf looks at the problems associated with manual handling and provides a useful guide to dealing with them through assessment and the introduction of best practice.
These guidelines for assessing the risk of injury in manual handling set out approximate boundaries within which handling operations are unlikely to create risk of injury. THESE ARE NOT WEIGHT OR FORCE LIMITS and may be exceeded or reduced where a more detailed assessment of a particular task indicates that this is appropriate.
The figures are based on the following:
- The handler is standing or crouching in a stable body position with the back substantially upright
- The trunk is not twisted during the operation
- Both hands are used to grasp the load
- The hands are not more than shoulder width apart
- The load is positioned centrally in front of the body and is itself reasonably symmetrical
- The load is stable and readily grasped
- The work area, environment (heat, cold, wet, floor condition) nor any protective clothing restricts the handler’s posture
Where practical conditions prevent these conditions being met in full, the guidelines may need to be reduced. The guidelines can be applied to repetitive handling provided the pace of work is not forced and adequate pauses for rest are possible.
If an operation is repetitive and lies close to a guideline boundary, more detailed assessment may be necessary especially if the interval between operations is less than about one minute, or the operations continue for more than about an hour.
Lifting and Lowering
The guidelines for lifting and lowering take into consideration not only the weight of the load but also its vertical and horizontal position during the handling operation.
If the hands enter more than one box during the operation, the smallest weight figure should be used. An intermediate figure may be chosen where the hands are close to the boundary.
Carrying
It is assumed that the load is held against the body and is carried no further than about 10m without resting. Over longer distances the guidelines may need to be reduced.
Where the load can be carried securely on the shoulder, a more detailed assessment may show that it is safe to exceed the guideline figure.
Pushing and Pulling
These guidelines apply whether the load is slid, rolled or supported on wheels. The figure for starting or stopping the load is a force of about 250 Newtons (25kg). The guideline figure for keeping the load in motion is a force of about 100 Newtons. It is assumed that the force is applied with the hands between knuckle and shoulder height - if not, the guideline figures may need to be reduced.
Handling While Seated
If handling beyond the indicated box zone is unavoidable, a more detailed assessment should be made.
It is easy to avoid back strain if you follow a few sensible rules AND if you get the right equipment for the task :
Watch Out! Common tasks leading to musculoskeletal disabilities are:
- Heavy manual labour and handling tasks in heavy industry
- Manual handling in awkward places
- Repetitive tasks such as fabrication and packing of goods
- Sitting at workstations for extended periods
- Driving long distances
Don’t Do It! Physical activities can cause or aggravate back pain, including:
- Stooping, bending over or crouching
- Lifting objects which are too heavy or bulky
- Carrying loads awkwardly
- Pushing, pulling, dragging excessive loads
- Using poor lifting techniques
- Stretching, twisting or reaching
- Working for long periods in one position
- Suffering vibration, jolting or jarring
- Carrying loads above shoulder height
- Working in cramped conditions
- Working in a cluttered environment
Assess and Avoid! The above hazards can frequently be avoided or minimised:
- Undertake a Risk Assessment to determine the chance of harm
- Take precautions to minimise or eliminate the risk
- Engineer out problems by designing work patterns which take account of the risks
- Provide equipment which mechanises the operation
- Monitor the situation to ensure the adaptations are working
- Modify as necessary to meet changing safety circumstances
- Employ work patterns which provide holiday and sickness cover to avoid over-stressing stand-in staff
- Avoid the need for staff to handle loads which obstruct vision
Mind your backs!
http://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/backpain/wkp.htm
In many workplaces the degree of manual handling undertaken can be cut and simplified - and any risks further reduced - by following established and easily available guidelines.
The use of manually operated or powered mechanical equipment as an aid to handling can both reduce operations carried out ‘by hand’ as well as permitting a wide range of handling operations involving larger, heavier and more awkward loads and higher volume operations. This section looks at this equipment.
The use of manual and mechanical equipment is not in itself a solution to handling problems. Suitability for purpose, ease of use, cost, ability to meet operational frequencies and a wide variety of other factors ensure that no single unit will meet all requirements.
Please use the equipment currently featured on this page – thank you.
Hand pallet trucks
First level of mechanised handling for the transfer of palletised loads. Capacities 2000 to 3000kg.
Powered pallet trucks
Extensive range of powered units for high volume internal and external use. Capacities 1400 to 6000kg
WP work positioners
Straightforward, ergonomic lifter. Adjustable working height. Hand-hydraulic or battery lift. Capacities 800 and 1000kg. Lift ht 800mm.
Mobile scissor lift tables
Light and manoeuvrable work positioners with adjustable working height. Powered or hand-hydraulic lift. Capacities to 1250kg.
High lift pallet trucks
Combined pallet mover and work positioner. Handhydraulic or battery lift. Capacity 1000kg. Lift height 800mm.
Microlifters
Designed for use in high hygiene areas. Manual or battery lift. Epoxy finish for easy cleaning. Capacities 80 and 100kg
Manual stackers
Elementary hand pushed hand-hydraulic lift stacker. Capacities 600 to 1200kg. Lift heights 1600 to 2500mm.
Battery lift stackers
Lightweight, hand pushed, powered lift stacker. Ideal for vehicle loading and pallet stacking. Capacities to 1200kg. Lift to 3500mm.
Powered stackers
Highly popular range of stackers with powered lift and drive for effortless handling. Capacities to 1200 kg. Lift to 3000mm.
Heavy duty stackers
Highly versatile series of powered stackers with conventional or straddle forks. Capacities to 3000kg. Lift heights 1600 to 5800mm.
Counterbalanced stackers
Compact and ultra-compact stackers which do the work of traditional forklifts at a fraction of the cost. Capacities to 1500kg.
Forklift trucks
Materials handling workhorse, available with battery-electric, lpg gas and diesel power units. Wide range of specifications.
Purpose designed units
Handling equipment designed and manufactured for individual applications but based on a core of proven components.