Manual Handling Regulations - an overview
October 29, 2012 at 5:47 PM
H&O Plastics are launching a range UN banded containers with side handles, that help to alleviate some of the issues that arise when manually handling in the workplace. The importance of taking care in manual handling situations can't be overemphasised and the Health and Safety Executive suggests you must comply with risk assessment requirements that are listed in the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and also those set out in the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, or MHOR.
To save you ploughing through these, we've summarised them for you.
The employer has a duty to avoid any manual handling where possible reasonably if there is a chance of potential injury. If they can't, then the chance of injury needs to be reduced as much as possible.
If an employee should be in any pain or discomfort, a system of monitoring any work changes to minimise manual handling needs to be introduced to ensure these changes work - if they don't, an alternative course of action must be taken.
MHOR lists certain safeguards that should be introduced to help lower risks involved in manual handling:
• attempt to avoid any potentially hazardous manual handling jobs where possible;
• assess any that it's impossible to avoid;
• take steps to reduce the risk of injury as much as possible.
Its not solely up to the employers though. Employees also have a duty to look after their own health and safety, not to mention that of others whose safety could be compromised by their actions. They should keep up communication with their employers to ensure they stay up to date with their health and safety duties. In summary, these are:
• adhere to the appropriate work systems created for their own safety
• ensure the correct use of any provided safety equipment
• give their employer their full cooperation on all health and safety issues
• let the employer know if they spot any dangerous handling activities
• ensure their own handling work doesn't put any others at risk
Something as straightforward as adding side handles to buckets and containers can greatly ease the difficulty of handling heavy loads and simplifies those loads that two people are required to share.
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T: 0151 639 0002 | F: 0151 639 0006 | E: sales@ho-plastics.co.uk
