COVER STORY
‘one-off’ job – such as moving the library books – which means that all managers and supervisors need to be made aware that they have responsibilities in relation to work involving manual handling.
• Reduce the risk of injury, perhaps by providing mechanical assistance, such as a sack trolley or hoist. Where this is not reasonably practicable, ways of changing the task, the load and working environment should be considered.
THE ERGONOMIC APPROACH The mere presence of lifting and handling aids does not solve all manual handling problems. For instance, a paramedic was left with permanent damage to his back and shoulder after he had to manoeuvre a patient into the back of an ambulance using a ‘carry chair’ because the ambulance wasn’t fitted with a tail lift. The awkward manoeuvrability of the carry chair caused him to strain under the weight of the patient. The incident exacerbated an existing back injury – which had itself been caused by lifting a patient. The paramedic had to have physiotherapy and was unable to work for four-and-a-half months.
Modern medical and scientific opinion accepts the scale of the problem and stresses the importance of an ergonomic approach to remove or reduce the risk of manual handling injury. The ergonomic approach looks at manual handling as a whole, taking into account a range of relevant factors, including the nature of the task, the load, the working environment and individual capability. This requires employers to ensure that workers fully participate in risk assessments since they are the ones who know what actually goes on in practice.
RoSPA has developed a range of courses, which offer both practical skills and relevant theory relating to manual handling. To find out more, about the courses call 0121 2482233 or email
enquiries@rospa.com
www.rospa.com
www.tomorrowshs.com
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