SAFE HANDLING HABITS

Every manual handling risk assessment considers the environment, the equipment and the worker amongst many other factors. So the postures and moves that you, the worker do are important to the risk management process.

Even when hazards have been controlled using engineering or equipment options, or administrative procedures are in place to minimise exposure to the risks, you still need to know how to position yourself safely for work.

The basic principles of back care include (and this is not an exhaustive list), to keep the load close, face the load when working, use a transfer of body weight, keep the spinal curves in neutral and not to over stress the knees. Manutention postures and actions incorporate all these principles and more.

Manutention doesn’t just talk about safe work habits, nor even just show you how to do it: Manutention means you have to practice and be supervised in your practice by a qualified trainer. In this way you can be given sensory feedback from the trainer so that you can learn new ways of moving and using your body.

Just like driving a car, where it was all new and different, so too, learning new ways to move your body may take time. Manutention might require: lots of practice and supervision; there will be theoretical and practical tests; you’ll progressively move onto more complex moves in more complicated environments. But just like driving a car, eventually you master it enough to become a novice and then a proficient driver.