Manual Handling Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 ...

Health and Safety
Executive
Guidance
80 All equipment provided for use during manual handling, including handling
aids and personal protective equipment (PPE), should be included in a planned
preventive maintenance programme which should include a defect reporting and
correction system. Equipment should be readily accessible for the tasks it is to be
used for. Handling aids and PPE that are not readily accessible are less likely to be
used (see the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, 12 the Lifting
Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 13 and Food Information Sheet
FIS33 Roll cages and wheeled racks in the food and drink industries: Reducing
manual handling injuries 14 ).
Involving the workforce
81 Employees, their safety representatives and safety committees should be
involved in any redesign of the system of work and encouraged to report any
defects. They should also be involved in the development of good handling
practice.
Industry-specific guidance
82 The development of industry-specific guidance within the framework
established by the Regulations and this general guidance will provide a valuable
source of information on preventive action that has been found effective for
particular activities or types of work. This guidance is increasingly becoming
available on HSE’s website www.hse.gov.uk. Some examples of such guidance are
given in the ‘References’ and ‘Further reading’ sections.
‘Appropriate’ steps
83 Above all, the steps taken to reduce the risk of injury should be ‘appropriate’.
They should address the problem in a practical and effective manner and their
effectiveness should be monitored. This can be done by observing the effect of the
changes made, and discussing these changes with the handlers or, less directly,
by checking accident statistics regularly. If they do not have the desired effect the
situation should be reappraised (see also paragraph 176).
Checklist
4(1)(b)(ii)
84 As in risk assessment, it may be helpful to use a checklist when looking for
practical steps to reduce the risk of injury. The example of a checklist discussed
earlier (see paragraph 70 and Appendix 4) combines the assessment of risk
required by regulation 4(1)(b)(i) with the identification of remedial steps required by
regulation 4(1)(b)(ii). The example given may not be suitable in all circumstances but
it can be adapted or modified as appropriate.
Guidance
4(1)(b)(i) and (ii)
Practical advice on assessing and reducing risks in
manual handling
85 The following section contains additional practical advice on what to look
for when making risk assessments of manual handling activities. It breaks these
down according to various task factors, aspects of the load, and the working
environment. Where appropriate, practical ways of taking action to reduce risks are
discussed within each topic.
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