FAQs
Manual handling is any activity requiring the use of force exerted by a person to lift, lower, push, pull, carry or otherwise move, hold or restrain any animate or inanimate object.
This is an activity that most people do every day. The problem for us all is that without training and a thorough understanding of how to use the body correctly most people display incorrect body mechanics with every move they make. The manual handling errors are not so bad individually but cumulatively these small errors performed routinely over time, accumulate in the body as microscopic cellular impressions of body stress and before natural time we create permanent Musculo-skeletal disorders that interrupt a pain free life.
WHS Regulations and the Manual Handling Code of Practice define hazardous manual handling as activities that are performed where a person lifts, lowers, pushes, pulls, carries or otherwise moves, holds or restrains any person, animal or thing involving:
- the incorrect use of the joints and tissues of the body
- repetitive or sustained movements
- postures or forces involving long duration
- high or sudden force
- hand-arm or whole-body vibration.
Clearly not all manual handling is hazardous. Often a working person can have a hard day at work, go home tired but then wake up the next morning fitter and stronger than the morning before. This occurs when the worker has used correct manual handling techniques, is in a safe work environment and where workloads are managed by well-informed production and safety professionals.
Here the objective is to create workers who are “athletes in industry.” This is in direct contrast to workers who carry out their daily tasks with no thought of manual handling safety, who end up getting injured and old before their time costing the social and economic future of families and costing industry billions of dollars in direct and indirect costs each year.
A musculoskeletal disorder, as defined in the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations, means an injury to, or a disease of, the musculoskeletal system, whether occurring suddenly or over time. MSDs may include conditions such as:
- Sprains and strains of muscles, ligaments and tendons
- Back injuries, including damage to the muscles, tendons, ligaments, spinal discs, nerves, joints and bones
- Joint and bone injuries or degeneration, including injuries to the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, ankle, hands and feet
- Nerve injuries or compression (e.g. carpal tunnel syndrome)
- Muscular and vascular disorders as a result of hand-arm vibration
- Soft tissue hernias
- Chronic pain MSDs occur in two ways:
- Gradual wear and tear to joints, ligaments, muscles and intervertebral discs caused by repeated or continuous use of the same body parts, including static body positions
- Sudden damage caused by strenuous activity, or unexpected movements such as when loads being handled move or change position suddenly.
The Backsafe program sets out a series of proactive actions that will drastically reduce your risk of creating a musculo-skeletal injury. For example;
- Stretch frequently before work, after breaks and regularly during work activities.
- Shift positions often – the key is to move, move, move.
- Occasionally reverse postures which are maintained for prolonged periods while occupying a workstation.
- To minimise the effects of exposure to hand-arm or whole-body vibration injuries, ensure properly cushioned seating and footrests. Where hands could be affected wear gloves and make sure cushioning to handles are in place.
- Never jump from a vehicle or a loading dock or any elevated area. Climb up and climb down.