Everyone Needs Manual Handling Training: Not Just Heavy Lifters At some point, 8 in 10 of us will experience back pain. Figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) report that poor manual handling is responsible for 30% of all workplace injuries. All of us should undergo
manual handling training as most of us will be required at some point to do some form of lifting. All “manual handling” needs to be done properly. An awkward sideways or sudden movement, regular or repetitive tasks - they could all cause back strain. Your back is a wonderful piece of technology, but also a vulnerable one and it needs to be taken good care of.
Learning good manual handling technique is not difficult, it’s a matter of thinking about any lifting or carrying task and ensuring that any difficulties have been taken into consideration BEFORE starting it. Always test the weight, always consider the route: are there stairs, doors to be opened, is the lighting sufficient, is there somewhere to put it down? These are only some of the factors that should be considered.
Five years ago, the HSE launched "Better Backs"; a major initiative which they hoped would encourage more people to undertake manual handling training and thus reduce the number of back injuries sustained in the workplace. While the number of such injuries has been reduced in the intervening period, poor manual handling remains a serious problem.
According to details from the HSE, the five industries accounting for the largest number of handling injuries are recycling, land transport, sewage and refuse disposal, furniture and food production and beverages. The HSE statistics also break down the manual handling injuries into types, for example over the last five years 25% of injuries were caused when
lifting and carrying or putting down loads, 16% when pushing or pulling loads and 11% were sprains and strains from body movement.
Good manual handling training should include explanations of ALL factors which need to be taken into consideration when preparing for a lift and should clearly show the correct method of lifting. Explaining how the back works gives great background and clarifies what exactly is happening when the back is mistreated and makes SENSE of the training. Using various forms of communication (e.g. video, animation, illustration, engaging language) holds the attention and ensures better retention of knowledge. Regular interactivity ensures knowledge is more likely to be retained.
A toddler picking up a box from the floor will almost invariably use naturally good manual handling technique - bending at the knees rather than from the back - perhaps because their centre of gravity is low, but for whatever reason we lose this knowledge as we grow older and have to relearn it. We can all avoid future back pain by taking a little time now.