Hazard manual handling

Manual handling is to move, pull and push or transfer of any material by hand or by the movement of your body parts. In the UK, almost 1. Every worker that is involved in manual handling is at risk.

It does not matter even if the load is light or heavy if you are not doing it in the proper posture you could be at risk of manual handling injury. Manual handling can also cause acute trauma cuts or fracture due to accidents to the worker performing manual handing or to the other worker in work area.

We can conduct the risk assessment using various methods e. We have offered such services to our clients in past for their industrial setups. This article is written by Ahsan Shahbaz. Back injury because of the lifting of heavyweight or loads is common and million working days are lost each year because of such injuries. The Manual handling operations or procedures can cause a wide range of the acute and the chronic injuries to the workers.

The Acute injuries usually head to the sick leave from the work and the period of rest during which time the damage recover or heals. Chronic injuries build up over the long period of the time and are irreversible, producing illnesses such as the person with arthritis and spinal disorders. There is significant evidence to suggest that advanced lifestyles, such as the lack of exercise and the regular physical effort, have contributed to the serious long-term effects of these injuries.

The several common injuries associated with the poor manual handling techniques or procedures are all musculoskeletal or characteristics and are:. The muscular sprains and strains — caused when the muscular tissue or tendon or ligament is stretched beyond its normal capability leading to the bruising, weakening and the painful inflammation of the area affected. Such injuries happen in the back or the arms and the wrists;. Back injuries — It includes the injuries to the discs located between the spinal vertebrae i.

These types of injury can drive to other conditions or situation known as lumbago and sciatica where pain moves down the leg ;. Trapped Nerve — It usually happening in the back as the result of another injury but the aggravated by the manual handling;. The Hernia — this is a rupture of the body cavity wall in the lower abdomen, resulting in protrusion of the part of the intestine.

This situation eventually requires the surgery to repair the damage;. Cuts, Bruising, and Abrasions — It caused by the handling of the loads with the unprotected sharp corners or the edges;. Fractures — Normally of the feet because of dropping a load. The Fractures of the hands also happen but are less frequent;. The Rheumatism — It is a chronic disorder involving severe pain in the joints of the body. It has several causes, one of which is believed to be the muscular strains caused by the poor manual handling lifting technique or procedure.

In general, the pulling a load is much more comfortable for the body than pushing one. If weight or the load can only be the push, then the pushing backward using the back is less stressful on the body muscles.

If a load has to be carried or moved, it is easier to carry or to move it at waist level and close to the body trunk.