Manual Handling Injuries

More than 25% of the accidents reported to the UK Health & Safety Executive (HSE) each year are associated to manual handling, most resulting in lower back injuries. These musculoskeletal disorders; including injuries resulting from Display Screen Equipment use, machine operating, maintenance work and office duties, are common in which repeated and prolonged strain is put on the spine. In order to reduce the chance of your employees becoming a part of these statistics, Surefire Training can provide quality, affordable Manual Handling Training, and allow your business to continue to have a healthy and productive work force.

With about 70% recurrence rate for back injuries, it's much better to avoid getting an injury, than to try to fix the situation afterwards. Although some manual handling injuries are due to a single incident, many are cumulative and result from carrying out the same activities repeatedly, with poor posture. Parents & Nursery school teachers are an example of an occupational group who are exposed to cumulative risks. They can involve lifting from a low level as well as bending forward to talk to and feed young children.

It is not just the back that may be injured. Other muscle groups and joints such as shoulders, arms and legs, are involved in manual handling and may be damaged by bad lifting techniques. Feet can also be damaged by loads being dropped on them. You can decrease the risk of injuries by thinking about how you handle things, and using efficient and comfortable working postures during the handling activity.

The Spine

Anatomy of our Spine

The structure of the back allows it to support our head, to provide anchor points for the rest of our skeleton, and provide flexibility when we move.

The vertebral column is formed of 33 bones, called vertebrae. It has four curves, two of which, thoracic and pelvic, are concave and are formed before we are born. The other two, cervical and lumbar, are convex and are formed when we begin to sit up and walk.

The vertebrae are bound together by powerful ligaments, and stabilised by small muscles along the entire length of each side of the vertebral column. The joints between the bones of the lumbar, thoracic and cervical regions are slightly moveable and contain fibro-cartilaginous structures called discs. The discs act as buffers (shock absorbers) between the vertebrae to withstand forces of compression.

Although the amount of movement between any two vertebrae is limited, the amount of the movement which take place at all the joints make the spine; as a whole, a very mobile structure. The spine can bend forwards (flexion), backwards (extension) and sideways (lateral flexion), and can twist (rotation).

Good Posture

The posture that you adopt when performing a manual handling activity is determined mostly by what you need to see to do the task, and how you handle the load. For example, if you are pushing a tall load then you might bend sideways to see around the side. A good posture is efficient in terms of the amount of muscular effort required, and does not result in discomfort or injury. Certain sorts of handling place your back at risk of injury because the combination of poor posture and heavy load place too much strain on it.

The muscles and joints in your back receive least strain when you are upright and are maintaining your natural curves in your spine. Therefore, you will be putting least strain on your back if you do manual handing activities with your back in this position. Remember too, that generally your muscles are strongest in their middle third range of movement. This means that your arms muscles, for example, will be better able to cope with a lift when your elbows are bent.

Good Lifting Technique

You can help yourself by making sure that you are using your muscles efficiently. Here are some more tips for safer lifting:

• Lifting actions are strongest when performed close to the body.
• The strength of a lifting action is strongest at around knuckle height to waist height and falls off rapidly above and below this level.
• Pulling and pushing actions are strongest, and therefore require less effort, when the load is being moved in a straight line.
• Symmetrical lifting - using two hands – is safer than using one hand.
• Plan the lift before you begin and make sure that you know where you are going, and that your path is clear.
• If you are picking something up off the floor or from a low shelf, try to bend your knees and keep your back straight. Let your leg muscles do the work.

If you are lifting with someone else, make sure that you both of you know what you are doing before you begin.

Legal Requirements

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 came into force on 1 January 1993 to implement the European Directive 90/269/EEC. They supplement the general duties on employers by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992.

These regulations require employers to make a suitable and sufficient risk assessment of the risks to the health and safety of their employees while at work. The manual handling regulations put a duty on employers to assess possible risks associated with manual handling, and to reduce any risks that they find.