Manual Handling
Manual Handling, Manual Handling Regulations & Lifting Weight
Manual handling can mean a lot of different things to an individual or business but for the purpose of safety in the Australian workplace we will consider manual handling meaning the lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, carrying, moving, holding or restraining any object, animal or person. It is important to realize however manual handling means more than just carrying or lifting a heavy object. In the workplace manual handling can include a wide range of activities such as engaging or pulling a lever, restraining a machine or operating a power tool.
Due to the nature of factories, offices and warehouses, most workplaces are susceptible to manual handling hazards. This factor is backed by worker’s compensation statistics that show one third of all occupational injuries in Australia happen during some form of manual handling. Data has also shown that the rate of injury has not always been reduced by traditional approaches that focus on correct lifting techniques and saw the weight of an object as the only source of danger. The following Manual Handling pages aim to give Australian managers and employees some help and advice in dealing with the hazards presented by Manual handling.
I'm A Manager, How Can I Prevent Manual Handling Injuries?
Well the short answer to this question is that there is no way to guarantee a manual handling injury will never occur in your workplace, however following the National Code Of Practice, will go a long way to reducing the risks. The Code of Practice requires employers to identify, assess and control the risks arising from manual handling. Read on to learn how to reduce the risk of manual handling injuries.
DISCLAIMER: All the information or advice on this page aims to be as accurate as we can reasonably make it. However, the information and advice is general and may not necessarily applicable to your specific business or workplace. If a topic relates to your business or workplace, you should make sure you do your own research on how applicable and relevant the information or advice is to your particular situation. In creating these pages the document "Manual Handling" was used as a reference point and can be accessed via this link;
