An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world An agency of the Health & Safety Executive
Enabling a better working world
Matt Birtles
Merciless plug for MSD tools that aren’t quite published yet (but will be very soon)
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
The tools
The V-MAC
Variable frequency manual
handling
The Push-Pull MAC
Easier push-pull assessment
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
The VMAC
MAC as it stands:
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
The VMAC
MAC as it stands: load weight/frequency
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
The VMAC
MAC load weight/frequency limitations
Assumes the same load is
handled all day – not always
the case
LA inspectors identified that it
does not apply to order picking /
variable load handling tasks
HSL addressed this issue
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
The VMAC
The V-MAC
The V-MAC is a spreadsheet add-on to the MAC to assess variable weight /frequency
It shows:
– The loads (kg) handled
– The number of times a load is handled
– Summary statistics to show the distribution of the load
– Risk using MAC colour bands
Currently testing draft web pages about the V-MAC spreadsheet
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
The VMAC
V-MAC: What’s changed?
The graph has been turned round
“Lifts per hour” has changed to
“lifts per shift”
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
The VMAC
Use the V-MAC to assess the load weight/frequency risk
Then carry on with the MAC for the other risk factors
V-MAC: The basics
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
The VMAC
V-MAC: The basics
Input weight data into the spreadsheet
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
The VMAC
V-MAC: The basics
Input weight data into the spreadsheet
Pick the correct shift length
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
The VMAC
V-MAC: The basics
The numbers of lifts for each weight appear
automatically
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
The VMAC
Using V-MAC
The Assessment Outputs
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
The VMAC
Using V-MAC
The Assessment Outputs
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
The VMAC
Using V-MAC
Enter overall risk into the MAC score sheet +
complete other factors
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
The VMAC
Using V-MAC
Enter overall risk into the MAC score sheet +
complete other factors
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
The VMAC
When to use V-MAC or MAC or ART?
Use ART
Use VMAC & MAC
All items weigh less than 2.5 kg
All items weigh about the same
The heaviest item is at least 2 kg heavier than
the lightest
The task is mostly upper-
limb
Use ART
Use ART
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
Push & Pull
The Push-Pull MAC
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
Push & Pull
The Push-Pull MAC – Lit Review
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
Push & Pull
Lit Review Findings – Key risk factors
Magnitude of task force, generally suggested
Other important factors: – Posture/position of handle
– Type of operation performed
– Weight of load,
– Floor condition (friction, slopes and curbs)
– Frequency of exertion
– Speed of activity
These showed similar magnitudes of effect as exerted force in some of the studies
The factors tend to act relatively independently
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
Push & Pull
The Assessment Tool
wheeled equipment operations (WEO)
non-wheeled item operations (NWIO)
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
Push & Pull
The Assessment Tool - WEO
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
Push & Pull
The Assessment Tool – Load Weight
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
Push & Pull
The Assessment Tool - Posture
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
Push & Pull
The Assessment Tool – other bits
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
Push & Pull
The Assessment Tool – other bits
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
Push & Pull
The Assessment Tool – Scores
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
16 bottles @ 22kg About 360kg
Push & Pull
The Assessment Tool – Load Weight
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
Push & Pull
The Assessment Tool – Load Weight
An agency of the Health & Safety Executive Enabling a better working world
Push & Pull
The Assessment Tool – Scores
0
0 0 0 2
1 3
0
6
Water delivery
Pulling water to office block