Graham Roofing Manual Handling TBT

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Manual Handling

• Introduction
  Every year, a significant proportion of all injuries at work are caused by manual handling. If you get it wrong today you will suffer the consequences tomorrow. This talk covers considerations and good techniques for manual handling.
  
  The term manual handling covers a wide variety of activities including lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling and carrying. If any of these tasks are not carried out appropriately there is a risk of injury.
  
  Considerations
  1. Always use mechanical aids instead of manual handling if possible, e.g. forklifts, hoists or pallet trucks, etc.
  2. Know your capabilities and only tackle jobs you can handle; otherwise seek help.
  3. Check if there is a clear walkway with good lighting to the work area.
  4. Where possible, establish the weight of the load before starting to lift.
  5. Wear gloves to protect against cuts and safety boots to protect from falling loads.
  6. Always take into account the environmental conditions e.g. ice or inclines.
  7. Carry out a trial lift by rocking the load from side to side, then try lifting it a small way to get a feel for it.
  Good handling techniques
  1. Stand reasonably close to the load, feet hip-width apart, one foot slightly forward pointing in the direction you’re going.
  2. Flex your knees and slightly curve your back (avoid stooping or a deep squat when starting a lift).
  3. Get a secure grip on the load.
  4. A good lifting technique uses the strong muscles in your legs.
  5. Keep the load close to your body but don’t carry a load that obscures your vision.
  6. Keep the heaviest side of the load next to the body.
  7. Lift slowly and smoothly, avoiding jerky movements.
  8. Avoid twisting your body when lifting or carrying a load. Shoulders should be kept level and facing in the same direction as the hips. Turning by moving the feet is better than twisting and lifting at the same time.
  9. Keep the head up when handling. Look ahead, not down at the load, once it has been held securely.
  10. When lifting to a height from the floor, do it in two stages if possible.
  11. When two or more people lift a load, one person must take control to co-ordinate the lift.
  
  Questions/ notes
  • What checks should you carry out before lifting?
  • What PPE should you wear and why?
  • When two or more people are lifting a load, what should happen?

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