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Moving and Handling Information and Guidance October 2017
Moving and Handling Information and Guidance
October 2017
Moving and Handling Information and Guidance October 2017
This booklet has been created in line with the ‘Scottish Manual Handling Passport
Scheme, Capability Scotland Policies and procedures. These are designed to
improve the standard and consistency of moving and handling training/education and
the systems that underpin it.
Through completion of the organisational Moving and Handling Induction we aim to
raise staff awareness on moving and handling, provide a clear understanding of
responsibilities, policies, procedures, practices, use of equipment and legislation
within your role whether providing assistance to customers or the transferring of
inanimate loads.
Additional advice and support can be provided by accessing the organisational
Moving and Handling policy (available through the Capability Scotland Intranet),
contacting your service trainer and/or the Moving and Handling Lead, Aimee
Gilhooley.
Moving and Handling Information and Guidance October 2017
The manual handling operation regulations, 1992 resulted from the Manual handling
of loads – European directive, 1990 which was intended to harmonise standards of
practice throughout the whole of the European Union and sits under the umbrella of
the Health and Safety at work act 1974.
This act (in relation the manual handling) explains the general duty for employers to
have in place a safer system of work and what that entails, defines an employee’s
responsibility of their acts and omissions in the workplace and explains the potential
outcomes if they are not adhered to.
The Manual Handling Operation Regulations, 1992 (MHOR) define
“manual handling operations” as the transporting or supporting of a load
(including the lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving thereof) by
hand or bodily force.
“load” is anything which is moveable, e.g. inanimate object, person or animal.
The regulation imposes duties (regulation 4) on;
The employer shall:
Avoid – Wherever possible, avoiding a hazardous manual handling situation is
always preferable
Assess – If avoidance is not possible, making a suitable and sufficient assessment of
the hazards is the next step
Reduce – By following the risk assessment you are reducing the risk of injury to all
persons involved to the lowest level reasonably practicable
Review – Risk assessments should be reviewed when changes occur, or when they
are no longer valid
Health & Safety at Work act 1974
Moving and Handling Information and Guidance October 2017
The employee shall (regulation 5):
Each employee while at work shall make full and proper use of any system of work
provided for his use and by his employer in compliance with regulation 4.
In addition regulation 4 requires employers to make a suitable and sufficient
assessment of any hazardous operations that cannot be avoided. These
assessments should be carried out by employees who are occupationally competent.
In considering how to reduce the risk the following factors should be considered.
The working ENVIRONMENT
The LOAD
The INDIVIDUAL CAPABILITY
The nature of the TASK
The Management of Health and Safety at Work (Amendment) 2006
This act (in relation the manual handling) explains the circumstances in which risk
assessments should be undertaken in the workplace and the process the risk
assessment should follow.
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences 1995
(R.I.D.D.O.R.)
This act (in relation the manual handling) sets out the criteria when workplace
fatalities, injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences should be reported, defines
the types of reportable injury and the reporting process.
Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations, 1998
This regulation applies to the use of lifting equipment in all sectors of industry and in
all work activities. This regulation complements the MHOR, 1992 and PUWET, 1998.
lifting equipment includes any equipment where the [primary function is to lift and
covers a wide range of equipment including lifting accessories such as slings.
Regulation 9 states that employers must ensure that lifting equipment is thoroughly
examined:
o In the case of lifting equipment for lifting persons or an
accessory for lifting every 6 months
o In the case of other lifting equipment, at least every 12 months
o In either case in accordance with an examination scheme
o Each time that exceptional circumstances which are liable to
jeopardise the safety of lifting equipment have occurred and
o If appropriate for the purpose, is inspected by a competent
person at suitable intervals between thorough examinations
Moving and Handling Information and Guidance October 2017
Thorough examinations should be undertaken by a competent person. Any defects
should be reported as per the organisational Moving and Handling policy. Records of
examinations must be kept for inspection purposes.
Competence is defined as the state or condition of being sufficiently qualified to
perform a particular action. To achieve this condition, one must possess the proper
knowledge, skills, training, and professionalism (Jonas: Mosby's, 2005).
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations, 1998
This act (in relation the manual handling) details the criteria by which work
equipment should be used only for its intended purpose, maintained and the training
and supervision received on work equipment.
‘every employer shall ensure that work equipment is used only for operations
for which, and under conditions for which, it is suitable’.
What is and what is not ‘lifting equipment’
Equipment: Covered by:
Mobile/Overhead (tracking) hoists LOLER
Stand and raising aids LOLER
Bath hoists LOLER
Bath lifts LOLER
Lifting platforms LOLER
Stair lifts LOLER
Slings LOLER
Spreader bar extension strap/hooks LOLER
Standing turners PUWER
Riser recliner chairs PUWER
Profiling beds PUWER
Active mattresses PUWER
Recliner baths PUWER
It is the responsibility of every employee to ensure they have access to and are
familiar with the contents of all Moving and handling related legislation and
organisational policies and procedures.
Moving and Handling Information and Guidance October 2017
Manual handling is the main work activity causing back disorders with high rates in
nursing and personal care occupations. In 2015/16 MSD’s accounted for 8.8 million
working days lost an average of 16 days for each case. Work related
musculoskeletal disorders account for 34% of all working days lost due to work
related ill health. The HSE have identified that MSDs and good spinal health are a
priority due to the potential impact on people’s lives.
Your back is a complex system consisting of bones, tendons, ligaments and muscles
and discs which consist of:
o 33 bones or vertebrae (24 are moveable) which are divided into 5 sections
o 7 cervical
o 12 thoracic
o 5 lumbar
o 5 sacrum
o 4 coccyx
The adult spine is an elongated S shape as seen below
fused
Moving and Handling Information and Guidance October 2017
The spinal cord passes down through the middle of the spinal column and is
protected by the vertebrae. It extends from the base of the skull to the top of the
second lumbar vertebrae. The spinal cord acts as channel for information (motor and
sensory) and for co-ordinating certain reflexes.
Muscles, ligaments and tendons of the spine are needed to assist in maintaining
the position of the S shape by holding the vertebrae in proper alignment. The
function then is to stabilise the spine, control movement and help the spine carry
loads created during normal day to day activities.
Although incredibly strong the spine is not designed for lifting heavy loads.
Intervertebral discs are soft cushions made from cartilaginous tissue and sit
between the vertebrae. Their function is to facilitate movement, to separate the
individual vertebrae and act as shock absorbers as we move.
A slipped disc occurs when the jelly like substance escapes through a weakness in
the outer layer of the disc. This in turn presses against the spinal cord causing
numbness, pain and pins and needles.
A back disorder begins to develop long before the first episode of pain and the
problem usually still remains long after the pain subsides. This can be triggered by a
twist, a fall or even a sneeze. Some causes of back pain are detailed below:
o Poor Posture – how we sit, stand or move
o Faulty body mechanics – how we lift, lower, push, pull and move objects
o Stressful living and working habits – staying in one position too long and not
learning how to relax
o Loss of flexibility- becoming stiff and unable to use full range of body
movements
o Poor physical condition – losing the strength and endurance necessary to
perform physical tasks without strain
Poor posture will usually produce increased strain on the supporting structures and
inadequate balance over our base of support. The long term impact of poor posture
could be joint damage, increased stress in the muscles, ligaments and tendons
therefore resulting in back, neck or shoulder pain, frequent headaches and tiredness.
Moving and Handling Information and Guidance October 2017
MOVING AND HANDLING TOP TIPS FOR MAINTAIN GOOD SPINAL HEALTH.
Keep the office well lit and set the right temperature
Sit facing ahead, feet flat on the floor with your legs uncrossed
Regulary sit up tall and take a deep breath to refresh the air in your lungs
Seek advice for suspected health problems early
Dont wedge the telephone between your ear and shoulder
Be strict with yourlef about taking regular micro breaks from your desk/PC
Take the stairs not the lift
Dont skip meals and do drink water regularly
Vary your tasks to give your body a range of different postures
Go for a walk at least once a week
Do some easy exercises every hour like some bicep curls
Take your full lunch break and get away from your desk.
Moving and Handling Information and Guidance October 2017
Safe systems of work and Safer movement principles
A system of work is a set of procedures according to which work must be carried out.
Safe systems of work are required where hazards cannot be eliminated and some
risk still exists. In order to effectively achieve this there are several safer movement
principles that should be adopted in order to prevent injury or harm to yourself or the
customer you are assisting. These principles should also be adopted for inanimate
load handling.
1. Get in close to the person you are assisting the further away the person is
the more strain you are likely to suffer.
2. Relax your knees this allows you to adjust your position as necessary and
use your large leg muscles to provide the power for an assisted move
3. Adopt a balanced position, for example in standing feet offset, if assisting
on a low bed one knee on the bed or if working on the floor in open kneeling.
4. Adopt a secure and comfortable hold Use your whole hand avoiding a
finger grip. When assisting people to move the best place for you to provide
support is usually over the shoulder blades and hips.
5. Your back should be in its relaxed natural upright position – avoid
stooping, twisting and side bending which could lead to pain and discomfort.
6. Lead upwards with the crown of the head at the moment of effort, this
helps keep your spine in it’s natural S shape
7. Move slowly and smoothly and avoid hurrying
Communication is a vital tool in effective and efficient Moving and Handling. The
customer is integral to the transfer and should be treated as such, good
communication may help them relax and co-operate.
Establish how you will communicate with the customer given their condition and seek
further information from the customers individual Moving and Handling Risk
Assessment. Explain what the transfer will consist of and the commands you will
use. Always be aware of your voice, tone and body language as these are often
more powerful than the spoken word.
Moving and Handling Information and Guidance October 2017
Risk Assessment
Every move you need to assist with should be assessed for risks. Your employer or
supervisor will be responsible for carrying out the risk assessment, but you may be
required to assist.
What is Risk Assessment?
A risk assessment identifies possible hazards at work and how likely they are to
cause an incident or injury. You and your employer should work together to remove
hazards and reduce the risk as much as is reasonably practicable.
The completed Risk Assessment becomes part of the customers care plan for that
person. It should be reviewed and updated regularly as the customer’s condition or
circumstances change as it is a fluid tool for managing risk.
You must notify your line manager about any concerns or changes as soon as they
arise.
Identifying risk
A Risk Assessment looks at any factor that could cause an accident or injury. Follow
the TILE rule to identify risk factors.
Load (customer or
object being moved)
Has the customer been consulted? Do you know the persons
medical condition and physical disability? Is the person at risk of
injury from any sudden movements? Are special precautions
needed for the equipment such as catheters or splints? Do you
have the right handling aid for the job? Is the Load bulky or
unpredictable?
Individual Capability Do you have the skills needed to carry out the move? Are you
physically able to help with the move? Are you wearing suitable
clothing? (Refer to organisational Code of Ethics). Does the task
require any unusual capability?
Task What are you trying to achieve with the manoeuvre? What steps are
involved? How often will the manoeuvre be repeated? Are there any
exceptional circumstances? What is the distance to be covered?
Is this a new or unusual task? Are mechanical devices required?
Environment Is there enough space for the manoeuvre? Is there enough light? Are
the floors clear from obstructions?
Moving and Handling Information and Guidance October 2017
Inanimate load handling
There is no such thing as a completely ‘safe’ Moving and Handling task. But working
within the following guidelines will help reduce any associated risks.
Think before lifting/handling. Plan the lift. Can handling aids be used? Where is
the load going to be placed? Will help be needed with the load? Remove
obstructions such as discarded wrapping materials. For a long lift of an inanimate
load, consider resting the load midway on a table or bench to change grip
Adopt a stable position. The feet should be apart with one leg slightly forward to
maintain balance (alongside the load, if it is on the ground). The handler should be
prepared to move their feet during the lift to maintain their stability. Avoid tight
clothing or unsuitable footwear, which may make this difficult.
Get a good hold. Where possible, the load should be hugged as close as possible
to the body with your elbows tucked in at your waist (short levers).
Start in a good posture. At the start of the lift, slight bending of the back, hips and
knees is preferable to fully flexing the back (stooping) or fully flexing the hips and
knees (squatting).
Don’t flex the back any further while lifting. This can happen if the legs begin to
straighten before starting to raise the load.
Keep the load close to the waist. Keep the load close to the body for as long as
possible while lifting. Keep the heaviest side of the load next to the body. If a close
approach to the load is not possible, try to slide it towards the body before attempting
to lift it.
Avoid twisting the back or leaning sideways (especially while the back is bent).
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.
Moving and Handling Information and Guidance October 2017
Keep the head up when handling. Look ahead, not down at the load, once it has
been held securely.
Move smoothly. The load should not be jerked or snatched as this can make it
harder to keep control and can increase the risk of injury.
Don’t lift or handle more than can be easily managed. There is a difference
between what people can lift and what they can safely lift. If in doubt, seek advice or
get help.
Put down, then adjust. If precise positioning of the load is necessary, put it down
first, then slide it into the desired position.
In the diagram below each box contains a guidance weight for lifting and lowering in
that area. The guidance weights are reduced if you keep your levers short as
previously explained. With arms extended, or at high or low levels, this will increase
your risk of injury. The guidance weights assume that the load is readily grasped with
both hands and that the operation takes place in reasonable working conditions, with
the lifter in a stable body position.
HSE 2017
Moving and Handling Information and Guidance October 2017
Team lifting.
Communication is key when more than one handler is involved in a transfer.
o Identify a lead handler
o Practice commands e.g. ready, steady, stand
o Steady fluid movements
Where possible all those involved in team handling should be matched on height and
weight. If not a compromise should be found.
Good handling technique for pushing and pulling
Aids such as barrows and trolleys should have handle heights that are between the
shoulder and waist. Devices should be well maintained with wheels that run
smoothly. The law requires that equipment is maintained. When you buy new trolleys
etc, make sure they are good quality with large diameter wheels made of suitable
material and with castors, bearings etc which will last with minimum maintenance..
Force. As a rough guide the amount of force that needs to be applied to move a load
over a flat, level surface using a well-maintained handling aid is at least 2% of the
load weight. For example, if the load weight is 400 kg, then the force needed to
move the load is 8 kg. The force needed will be larger, perhaps a lot larger, if
conditions are not perfect (eg wheels not in the right position or a device that is
poorly maintained). The operator should try to push rather than pull when moving a
load, provided they can see over it and control steering and stopping.
Slopes. Employees should get help from another worker whenever necessary, if
they have to negotiate a slope or ramp, as pushing and pulling forces can be very
high.
Uneven surfaces. Moving an object over soft or uneven surfaces requires higher
forces. On an uneven surface, the force needed to start the load moving could
increase to 10% of the load weight, although this might be offset to some extent by
using larger wheels.
Stance and pace. To make it easier to push or pull, employees should keep their
feet well away from the load and go no faster than walking speed. This will stop them
becoming too tired too quickly.
Moving and Handling Information and Guidance October 2017
Workstation organisation
A workstation comprises of all the computer equipment of keyboard, monitor, mouse
and also includes chair and additional office equipment such as telephone filing trays
etc. The immediate environment around your working area is also part of your
workstation. If you do not set up your workstation correctly for you it can cause long
term problems with your arms, shoulders or back. The correct setup might not feel
right straight away, however by adopting correct posture, layout of equipment etc
can minimise the risks to your health later.
Capability Scotland in line with the Display Screen Equipment Regulations (DSE),
1992. State that as ‘Users’ of DSE. A risk Assessment must reviewed at least
annually or sooner whenever equipment, staff or working routines are to be altered,
and any resulting action is implemented. For additional information please refer to
Use of Display Screen Equipment Procedure.
Breaking up long spells of DSE work and therefore static postures can help prevent fatigue, eye strain, upper limb problems and backache.
The following may help DSE users:
o Stretch and change position. o Look into the distance from time to time, and blink often. o Change activity before users get tired, rather than to recover. o Short, frequent breaks are better than longer, infrequent ones. Timing and length of changes in activity or breaks for DSE use is not set down in law and arrangements will vary depending on a particular situation.
Driving Posture
• Head rest level with base of head
• Arms slightly bent
• Spine fully supported
• Pelvis free from pressure
• Thighs fully supported
• Pedals easily reached
Moving and Handling Information and Guidance October 2017
Emergency Moving and Handling The Royal College of Nursing and the National Back Pain Association advise that there are only four situations that can be described as an unforeseen event/emergency. These are when a person is in imminent danger of:
Drowning
A bomb or bullet
A collapsing building or structure
Being in an area that is actually on fire or filling with smoke Situations (in addition to the above stated) that may require an urgent response from staff are likely to include the management of seizures, the use of physical interventions and protecting customers from imminent danger, e.g. removal from a busy road.
Controversial manoeuvres
Unless there is an emergency (needing immediate action to avoid serious harm to a
patients health) the following must NOT be carried out:
Drag Lift.
Australian or shoulder lift.
Orthodox or cradle lift.
Any manoeuvres involving the patient’s hands being situated around the handler’s neck or body.
Any other procedure involving the lifting of most or the entire body weight of a patient, without a mechanical lifting aid.
In Summary
1. Follow organisational procedures
2. Encourage the customer to help
3. Get help if you need it
4. Don’t take any chances
5. Review each move
Remember, your safety and the customers safety depends of safe handling. Always
work within your own knowledge, skills and ability.
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