Eliminating Manual Handling Risks
Eliminating manual handling risks means removing the task, not making it easier. It sits at the top of the hierarchy of control and it is the option most often skipped.
The usual sequence runs the other way. Buy a trolley, then run training, then wonder why injuries continue. Both are controls and both sit near the bottom of the hierarchy.
Elimination asks a different question. Does this handling need to happen at all?
Often it does not. Deliveries can be made to point of use rather than to a dock. Stock can be ordered in smaller units. Storage can be redesigned so nothing sits below knee or above shoulder height. A supplier can be asked to change packaging. A process step can be removed entirely.
Ask that question before pricing equipment.
Safe Work Australia publishes the hierarchy of control. This is general information rather than legal advice, and obligations vary by state and territory.
See Sentrient’s manual handling course and work health and safety course.
How You Can Reduce Or Eliminate Manual Handling Risks In Your Workplace
Employee health and safety is not only a compliance concern, it also affects, directly or indirectly, the lives of all workers and society as a whole. A responsible employer needs to look after the safety of their employees, especially when performing manual handling tasks. As per the WHS regulations, employers must implement controls that either […]
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