Manual handling
Manual handling refers to the use of individual’s physicality to lift, lower, carry, push or pull an item.
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (MHOR), amended in 2002, define manual handling as:
‘...any transporting or supporting of a load (including the lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving thereof) by hand or bodily force’. |
Incorrect manual handling is a common factor in work-related injuries. This can be because of:
- The weight of the item being handled.
- The repetitive nature of the movement
- The distance the item is being moved
- Where the item is being moved to and from.
- The posture of the individual. Any twisting, bending, stretching or other awkward position may exacerbate problems.
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are injuries or damage caused to joints or other tissues in the upper/lower limbs or the back, often as a result of manual handling. Statistics have shown that MSDs account for more than a third of all work-related illnesses reported each year.
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations place obligations on employers to manage the risks of manual handling to their employees, including:
- Avoiding hazardous manual handling operations as far as is reasonably practicable. This may involve the use of alternative equipment such as a forklift truck, pallet jack, trolley or other lifting device.
- Assessing the risk of injury from manual handling operations that cannot be carried out with alternative equipment.
- Reducing the risk as far as is reasonably practicable, perhaps by altering the load, changing the working environment, and so on.
- Follow systems of work in place for their safety.
- Use equipment provided for their safety properly.
- Cooperate with their employer on health and safety matters.
- Inform their employer if they identify hazardous handling activities.
- Take care to make sure their activities do not put others at risk.
If it is necessary and safe to manually lift items, it is important to:
- Get a good hold.
- Start in a good posture.
- Keep the load close to the waist.
- Not flex the back any further while lifting.
- Avoid twisting the back or leaning sideways.
- Keep the head up.
- Move smoothly.
- Not lift or handle more than can be easily managed.
Manual handling activities can be assessed and graded according to risk using a Manual handling assessment chart.
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Construction health risks.
- Environmental health.
- Ergonomics in construction.
- Hand-arm vibration syndrome.
- Health and safety for building design and construction.
- Injuries on construction sites.
- Lifting device.
- Manual handling assessment chart.
- Reporting accidents and injuries on construction sites.
- Risk assessment.
- Safety management.
- Site records and registers.
[edit] External references
Featured articles and news
The continued ISG fall out, where to go?
Support for ISG contractors, companies and employees.
New HES national centre for traditional building retrofit
Announced as HES publishes survey results which reveal strong support for retrofit.
Retrofit of Buildings, a CIOB Technical Publication
Expected to become one of the largest activities in the global construction industry.
The ECA industry focus video channel
Keeping update with the industry session by session.
Over 25 recorded informations sessions freely available.
AT Awards 2024 ceremony East London October 25th.
Revisiting the AT community at the 2023 awards evening.
The Community Housing Fund and built affordable homes
CLTN reviews the impact of the Fund and calls for extension.
The grading system of the Regulator for Social Housing
A background, an explanation and ten recent enforcements.
Construction, repair and maintenance. Book review.
Putting new life into a city with a 1900 year history.
BSRIA Briefing 2024: Sustainable Futures speakers
Redefining Retrofit for Net Zero Living 22 Nov.
Wall of support for post-Grenfell regulation of electricians
Call for a shake-up of the construction industry highlighted on radio.
Digital sustainability through future AEC tools
Bringing together industry and academia to meet challenges.
Skills gap for net zero highlighted to Minister for Industry
ECA convenes roundtable discussion at Portcullis House.
Evidencing Net Zero with the new UK buildings standard
Pilot version with detailed excel proforma out now!
Scottish Building Safety Levy, in consultation
From direct remediation and the RPDT, to the costs and alternatives.
Waves of warmer homes grants for the rental sector
Boosting energy efficiency standards for all rented homes.
A refocus of the National Planning Policy Framework
Key terms described in brief, as the consultation closes the evening of the 24th.
Fortified farmhouses of the unruly 16th-and 17th-century borders.