Manual Handling Risks In The Workplace

Manual handling risks in the workplace are usually assessed by asking how heavy something is. Weight is one factor of five, and it is rarely the one that injures people.

• Force. How hard the task is to start and sustain, including pushing and pulling.
• Posture. Bending, twisting, reaching overhead, or working below knee height.
• Repetition. The same movement many times a shift. This is where most cumulative injury comes from.
• Duration. How long the task is held or repeated without a break.
• The load and environment. Shape, grip, stability, plus floor surface, lighting and space to move.

A light box lifted from floor level four hundred times is a greater risk than a heavy one lifted twice. Assessments that record only weight miss the tasks doing the damage.

Safe Work Australia publishes the model code on hazardous manual tasks. This is general information rather than legal advice, and obligations vary by state and territory.

See Sentrient’s manual handling course and risk management system.