Moving and Handling & Back Care

Phil Ward/Sarah Watson

Safety Office

Ext. 66761

Chris Chater

Occupational Health

Ext. 14329

Lifting and Handling

Your back is the most injury-prone part of your body

4 out of 5 people are affected Millions of working days lost every year

Identifying Manual Handling Risk

Types of Injury: Over-exertion: the load is beyond the individual’s

capability in the circumstances

Cumulative Damage: from repetitive lifting, static work procedures, etc.

Accidental Injury: e.g. loads trapping fingers, falling on foot

Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992Based on legislation from Europe

Employer’s duties ASSESS

– Is there a risk of injury?– Can manual handling be minimised?

TRAINING– Provide information and training to all

employees

What is manual handling?

Transporting

Supporting

or

a Load

Assessment

LOAD

INDIVIDUAL

TASK

ENVIRONMENT

The TASK

Holding load at a distance from the trunk Twisting the trunk Excessive vertical or horizontal movement Unstable posture Over-frequent or over-prolonged physical

effort Insufficient rest or recovery periods

The Individual

Strength, fitness, height Medical conditions Pregnancy Time, overloaded, stress

The LOAD

Heavy Bulky Unwieldy Difficult to grasp Unstable or contents likely to spill Sharp, hot, cold, dirty, contaminated

The Working Environment

Space constraints Congested storage Uneven, slippery or unstable ground Different floor levels / work surfaces Extremes of temperature Lighting

At Home & at Work

Your back allows you to– Walk– Sit– Stand– Lift– Bend– Work– Play– Sleep

Preventing back injuries is a lot easier than correcting them.

THINK before you lift!

THE BACK

What Happens at Work?Back problems often start at work Office Worker – spends up to 4 hours a week

hunch over their desk Taxi Driver – bent into the driving seat for more

then 25000 miles a year Checkout Assistant – Sat on a poorly designed

chair at the till all day Farmer – constantly lifting sacks, seeds and

machinery

And You?

BACKS

Our backs may be put under prolonged strain by our jobs and its hardly surprising that something within the delicate balance of bones and muscles so often fails

57% experience lower back pain each year

What Injuries Do We Suffer

Traumatised, bruised or inflamed muscles [which may go into spasm]

Damaged Ligaments Misalignment of tiny vertebral joints Damage to the discs between the vertebrae

Causes of Back Pain

Poor posture – this can be sitting standing or prolonged static posture

Ergonomics – fitting the task to the person Body Mechanics – how do we perform the

task Loss of muscle tone and suppleness Stress and Tension

Abnormal Strains on the Back at Work are more likely if: Generally unfit: [this

makes all injuries more likely]

Overweight: [this puts extra stress on the back]

Job involves lifting, bending or moving heavy objects: [lifting badly is a common cause of back problems at work]

Job involves being seated in one place for long periods of time [an unchanging posture can put prolonged abnormal tension on the back]

Abnormal Strains on the Back at Work are more likely if: The work involves

frequent use of a telephone without headset –31% of office workers who use a telephone for at least two hours a day and also use a computer have lower back pain

There’s a high level of stress, anxiety and tension in the job, or at home. This can generally increase muscle tension throughout the body and increase the chances of sudden sprain

Reducing the risk?

Common Lifting Problems and Solutions Problems Lifting with back bent

and legs straight Holding load too far

from body Twisting while lifting

Solutions Keep back straight and

bend the knees Hold load as close to

the body as possible Redesign the lift to

avoid twisting – turn the body using the feet

Common Lifting Problems and Solutions Problem Loosing balance during a

lift because: The feet are too close

together The load uneven or

unstable The load too heavy

SolutionKeep a wide balancestance with feetgenerally shoulder widthapart or widerTest the load before lift –If the load is uneven thenredistribute the loadUse the tripod liftIf the load is too heavy find another person to help or a mechanical lifting aid

Basic Lift [Diagonal Lift]This lift is the most common method of good lifting technique. Use the basic lift for objects small enough to straddle where you have enough room to use a wide stance.

Power LiftUse the power lift for objects too large for straddling. This lift is very similar to the basic lift. In the power lift the object shifts your centre of gravity forward and you must push your buttocks out to compensate.

Tripod liftUse the tripod lift for objects with uneven weight distribution [example: sacks of food]. Recommended for people with decreased arm strength. NOT recommended for people with bad knees

Partial Squat LiftUse this lift for small light objects with handles close to knee height

The Golfers’ Liftuse the golfers lift for small light objects in deep bins and to pick small objects off the floor – recommended for people with knee problems or decreased leg strength

Straight Leg LiftUse this lift when obstacles prevent you from bending your knees. Be careful! put you at increased risk for muscle strain. Use only if absolutely necessary example lifting out of a shopping trolley or car trunk

Overhead LiftThis lift is used to place objects on an overhead shelf. Begins with the object in your hands. Only use this lift when absolutely necessary

Pivot Technique

Contra-Indicating Factors

Age Pre-existing injury Degenerative disease Pregnancy Shoes and Clothing

Healthy Options

Nutrition – think about what you eat and when

Smoking – cut down, better still stop Alcohol – can be good for you in

moderation Exercise – keep it simple but regular,

suppleness is the key Relaxation – learn to keep cool

Stand Up To Back Pain

Myth:

Is it best to avoid any physical activity until my back gets better?

Fact:

Rest for more than a day or two does more harm than good. When you rest your back gets stiffer; your muscles weaken; you get depressed and it’s hard to get going again.

Stand Up To Back Pain

If you get an attack of back pain and you are concerned see your Doctor

But for the vast majority back pain is not serious. Pain does not mean harm, you can keep moving.

If you do keep moving the pain will begin to recede. It may take time and will require lots of effort from you, but you can recover if you want to!

Good Handling Technique

1. Stop and think2. Position the feet3. Adopt good posture4. Get a firm grip5. Keep close to the load6. Don’t jerk7. Move the feet8. Put down, then adjust