Manual Handling Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 ...

Health and Safety
Executive
Regulation
(1) Each employer shall –
(b)
where it is not reasonably practicable to avoid the need for his
employees to undertake any manual handling operations at work which
involve a risk of their being injured –
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
make a suitable and sufficient assessment of all such manual
handling operations to be undertaken by them, having regard to
the factors which are specified in column 1 of Schedule 1 to these
Regulations and considering the questions which are specified in
the corresponding entry in column 2 of that Schedule,
take appropriate steps to reduce the risk of injury to those
employees arising out of their undertaking any such manual
handling operations to the lowest level reasonably practicable, and
take appropriate steps to provide any of those employees who
are undertaking any such manual handling operations with general
indications and, where it is reasonably practicable to do so, precise
information on –
4(1)(b)
Guidance
(aa) the weight of each load, and
(bb) the heaviest side of any load whose centre of gravity is not
positioned centrally.
Assessment of risk, risk reduction and information on the load
46 The guidance on regulation 4(1)(b) is in four parts:
4(1)(b)
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
General advice on manual handling risk assessment – regulation 4(1)(b)(i)
(paragraphs 47-71).
General principles for reducing manual handling risks – regulation 4(1)(b)(ii)
(paragraphs 72-84).
Practical advice on assessing and reducing risks in manual handling,
discussed under various aspects of the task, the load and the working
environment – regulation 4(1)(b)(i) and (ii) (paragraphs 85-171).
Guidance on providing additional information on the load – regulation 4(1)(b)(iii)
(paragraphs 172-175).
Guidance
General advice on manual handling risk assessment
Use of generic manual handling assessments
47 Employers’ assessments will be ‘suitable and sufficient’ as long as they have
considered:
(a) all the types of manual handling operations their employees are required to
carry out; and
(b) any relevant individual factors covered by regulation 4(3).
4(1)(b)(i)
48 ‘Generic’ assessments based on risks which are common to a number of
broadly similar operations are quite acceptable, however, they should consider all
of the manual handling risks that are present in these operations. If the assessment
is based on a narrow selection of operations, some manual handling risks may be
missed. The findings should be made available to all the employees to whom it
applies and to the relevant safety representatives.
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