What is Manual Handling?
Manual Handling includes the following activities:
- Lifting
- Moving
- Pushing
- Pulling
- Carrying
- Putting Down
The Royal Society for prevention of accidents define it as “any transportation or supporting of a load by hand or by bodily force”.
The Risk to Staff
According to the Health & Safety Executive, there are approximately 500,000 work-related back illness each year.
Those who are particularly vulnerable are those who lift loads although sedentary workers can suffer more back illnesses than manual workers.