Musculoskeletal Disorders
Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs ) are the most common occupational illness in Great Britain; affecting 1.1 million people a year. They include problems such as low back pain, joint injuries and repetitive strain injuries of various sorts. The most up to date figures show that MSDs cost society £5.7 billion.
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, as amended in 2002 apply to a wide range of manual handling activities, including lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling or carrying. The load may be either inanimate – such as a box or a trolley, or animate - a person or an animal.
These regulations require employers to:
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avoid the need for hazardous manual handling, so far as is reasonably practicable;
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assess the risk of injury from any hazardous manual handling that can’t be avoided; and
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reduce the risk of injury from hazardous manual handling, so far as is reasonably practicable.
Training
Training is important but remember that, on its own, it can’t overcome:
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a lack of mechanical aids;
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unsuitable loads;
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bad working conditions.
Training should cover:
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manual handling risk factors and how injuries can occur;
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how to carry out safe manual handling including good handling technique (see 'Good handling technique for lifting' and 'Good handling technique for pushing and pulling');
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appropriate systems of work for the individual's tasks and environment;
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use of mechanical aids;
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practical work to allow the trainer to identify and put right anything the trainee is not doing safely.
Records of all training given should be signed of by employees and held by the employer, it is also recommended that refresher training be scheduled in to keep employees up to date and prevent bad habits.