Can Manual Handling be Avoided Completely?

Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers are required to carry out a general risk assessment of their workplace.

Where an assessment identifies a risk of manual handling injuries, the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (MHOR) apply.

MHOR states that:

So, you’re required to avoid manual handling in your workplace if there are:

• risks of manual handling injuries; and
• reasonable methods of eliminating the manual handling task.

The term “reasonably practicable” appears a lot in health and safety legislation. It effectively means that the cost, time and effort of implementing safety measures is proportional to the risks employees face.

In other words, you aren’t expected to bend over backwards or spend a small fortune on avoiding manual handling unless the risks justify it.

However, the risks of manual handling are often straightforward to manage, so there’s rarely a need to eliminate it entirely from your workplace. But before you can be sure, someone competent must have asked, “Can manual handling be avoided entirely?”

Under MHOR, avoiding manual handling must be your priority. Review the manual handling operations happening in your workplace. Can they be done in a different way? Can tasks be redesigned to eliminate the need for manual handling?

For example, could materials be delivered directly to where they’re needed? Or could you rearrange the layout of your workplace to eliminate the need to carry items?

Redesigning work this way can be relatively low-cost and low-effort, so you must consider these methods first when making manual handling safe.

Automating or mechanising systems is another way of eliminating the need for workers to handle loads manually. For example, you could introduce a powered conveyor belt to your workplace.

This method of avoiding manual handling isn’t always possible because the cost sometimes outweighs the risks it eliminates (i.e., it’s not reasonably practicable).

It’s especially expensive to retrofit systems, which is why the HSE notes it’s best to “make a decision on mechanisation or automation when plant or systems of work are being designed.”

Manual handling is considered unavoidable if the cost, time or trouble of avoiding it far outweighs the injury risks you’d eliminate.

You’re still expected to make unavoidable manual handling as safe as possible, however.

Under MHOR, you must:

• Assess the risks of any unavoidable manual handling.
• Reduce the risk of manual handling injuries so far as is reasonably practicable.

A manual handling risk assessment is similar to a general risk assessment. You identify the hazards, calculate the risk and implement the necessary control measures.

To be compliant with MHOR, you must apply this process to all types of manual handling operations separately, as some tasks will be riskier than others.

You must also involve front-line workers. Ask the people at the sharp end for their input: what hazards do they face, and how do they deal with them? Their answers will help ensure your assessment is thorough and control measures are practical.

To structure your assessment, follow the acronym TILE. TILE covers the four key areas all compliant manual handling risk assessments must consider.

Review the manual handling tasks being performed in your workplace. Study how workers move when they lift or carry loads. Awkward postures increase injury risks, so look out for workers bending at the waist, twisting torsos or lifting loads above shoulder height.

Even small movements can be hazardous if they’re repeated again and again. (Think about how your forearms burn after using a screwdriver for more than a minute.) So, lifting light loads short distances can still injure workers if they’re expected to do it repeatedly and without breaks.

You must also consider mental health risks. If manual handling tasks are monotonous, workers will probably ‘check out’ and take risky shortcuts. If workloads are unreasonable, workers risk becoming stressed or will rush through tasks without due care and attention.

Consider the abilities of the individual workers. Assess how their physical health will affect their ability to carry out manual handling tasks safely.

Adopt an ergonomic approach. Ergonomics is essentially fitting the work to the worker. So, do workers have any limiting factors or existing conditions that might affect their ability to handle loads manually?

Also, are workers adequately trained? Providing manual handling training that’s practical and relevant to the work is one of the best methods to prevent manual handling injuries. (Its effectiveness is one reason adequate training is a requirement under MHOR.)

Look at the loads workers are expected to handle. Are they heavy? Bulky? Awkward or hazardous to grip?

There are no strict weight limits for manual handling, but heavier loads are obviously riskier to lift. Unstable loads where the weight isn’t evenly distributed are also more likely to be dropped, potentially injuring the lifter and passers-by.

Can workers get to where they need to? Or do they need to adopt awkward positions or take longer routes because of obstructions?

Slip, trip or fall hazards also increase manual handling injury risks. Look at the routes workers take or the area they operate in. Are they clear, well-lit and in good repair?

After completing your assessment, you must implement the necessary risk controls. Risk controls must be practical and relevant to your workplace, so there’s no fixed list. However, you should consider the following:

• Providing manual handling equipment to eliminate or reduce the need for bodily force (equipment presents its own risks, so be sure workers are trained on its use).
• Reducing the weight of a load by splitting it into more manageable parts.
• Rearranging the work environment to eliminate obstacles and minimise the distance workers must travel when carrying loads.
• Mixing work patterns so workers have variety and opportunities to rest.
• Training workers in safe manual handling techniques.

• Employers are legally required to avoid manual handling whenever reasonably practicable.
• Automation and redesigning tasks can help eliminate manual handling but must be balanced against cost and practicality.
• Unavoidable manual handling must be risk assessed and managed to minimise injury risks.
• A thorough risk assessment follows TILE: evaluating tasks, individual capabilities, loads and the work environment.
• Effective control measures include providing proper equipment, varying work patterns and training workers.

Can manual handling be avoided completely? Not always, but with proper training, you can significantly reduce the risks associated with it.

Our online Manual Handling Training equips your employees with the knowledge and skills to handle tasks safely and minimise injury risks. With training, you’re not only protecting your workforce but also enhancing productivity and reducing downtime.