[ Focus: Health and safety ]


HANDLE WITH CARE M


According to official statistics, manual handling is the most commonly reported cause of workplace injury and the most frequent cause of sickness absences of more than three days. Under health and safety law, there are regulations that apply specifically to manual handling that include the necessity for training. But do you really need to teach your workforce how to lift a box? ECIC claims manager IAN HOLLINGWORTH explains how ignoring this requirement could prove costly to your business


anual handling has been identified in Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics as causing a third of all workplace injuries. Injuries caused by manual


handling go beyond the classic ‘pulled something in the back’ caused by lifting, pulling and pushing heavy objects; manual handling injuries include strains, sprains, trapped fingers, cuts from sharp objects and repetitive stress conditions such as tennis elbow. The majority of these injuries are classified as musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), which include back pain, neck and upper limb problems. In 2011/12 there were 27 million days lost to workplace injuries or work related illnesses. Injuries relating to handling, lifting or carrying accounted for more than 1.2 millions days lost. There were 30,663 handling injuries to employees, making up 28 per cent of all reported injuries, with an estimated average of 8.8 days lost per injury.


Construction That is, of course, across all types of industry, and it


March 2013 ECA Today 41


SHUTTERSTOCK / ITSMEJUST


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