Safer Manual Handling Policy - Halton and St Helens PCT

Corporate Policy Document 

Safer Manual Handling Policy 

For use in: 

For use by: 

Used for: 

Document Owner: 

Board approved: 

Policy Indexed 

Controlled Document No 

Version Number 

Status: 

Statutory and legal requirements 

Implementation Lead 

Implementation Process 

All areas of the Trust 

All PCT staff 

All PCT staff 

Manual Handling Advisor 

Approve Quality and Clinical Governance 

Workstream Aug 2007 

CP28 

HSHPCT/CP/28 

Approve Quality and Clinical Governance 

Workstream Aug 2007 

Corporate Policy 

Healthcare Commission Standards for Better 

Health 

Manual Handling Operations Regulations 

(1992) Handling Home Care HSE (2001) 

Manual Handling Advisor 

Policy to be circulated to all staff 

Training programme to support clinical and 

non-clinical staff 

Included in this policy is reference to anaphylaxis. This policy may be used by independent 

contractors (such as GP and Dental Practitioners) for guidance or as a template for their own 

policy. 

The Trust is committed to an environment that promotes equality and embraces diversity both 

within our workforce and in service delivery. The document should be implemented with due 

regard to this commitment 

This document seeks to uphold the duties and principles contained within the Mental Capacity 

Act. All Staff within the PCT should be aware of its implications 

This policy is due for review in October 2009 

After this date, policy and process documents may become invalid. Policy users should 

ensure that they are consulting the current version of this document. 

Issue Date: Oct 2007 Author: Manual handling Advisor Page 1 of 9 

Review Date: Oct 

2009 

Lead Director: 

Director of Service Delivery

CONTENTS 

Page No 

1 Aims of Policy 3 

1.1 Policy Statement 3 

2 Managers and Employees 3 

3 Scope of the Policy 3 

4 Responsibility of Employer 3 

5 Risk Assessment – Organisational Arrangements 4 

5.1 Work Based Manual Handling Risk Assessors/Instructors 4 

6 Responsibilities of Employees 4 

7 Operational Remedial Action 5 

8 Mandatory Training 6 

9 Responsibility of Manual Handling Advisor 6 

10 Responsibilities of Link Persons (People Handlers) 6 

11 Occupational Health 7 

12 Guidance for Clinical Staff – How to manage a patient 7 

who has fallen 

12.1 The Falling Patient 7 

12.2 The Uninjured Conscious Fallen Person 7 

13 Safe Systems of Work for Employees Manual Handling 8 

of Loads 

14.1 Main steps to Correct Lifting 8 

14.2 General Information 8 

References 9 

Appendix 1 - Clinical Staff Training Needs 

Appendix 2 - Access to a Portable Hoist 

Appendix 3 - Process for Procurement of Emergency Hoist 

Appendix 4 – Procurement of Emergency Hoist in St Helens 

in Halton 



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1. AIMS OF POLICY 

This policy reflects the European Community Directive on the manual handling of loads as set 

out in: 

• The Manual Handling Operations Regulation 1992 

• The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 

• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 

• Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare Regulations) 1992 

• The provision and use of Workplace Equipment Regulations 1998 

• The Lifting Operation and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 

1.1 Policy Statement 

Halton and St. Helens Primary Care Trust operate a Safer Handling Policy in respect of patient 

handling i.e. no one should be lifting a patient’s full body weight. This policy aims to protect 

patients and staff against the risk of injury to any part of the body during moving and handling 

operations. 

Manual Handling is defined as: 

Any transporting of a load by hand or bodily force. 

lowering or carrying. 

This includes pulling, pushing, lifting, 

A load is identified as: 

A moveable object e.g. a person or inanimate object. In exceptional circumstances e.g. 

emergency or life threatening situations, it is recognised that there is a need to move quickly 

without the proper equipment. 

2. MANAGERS AND EMPLOYEES 

Both managers and employees are responsible for complying with the requirements of this 

legislation, and subsequently of this policy. 

3. SCOPE OF THE POLICY 

This policy applies to all staff employed by, or working within Halton and St. Helens Primary 

Care Trust (hereafter referred to as the ‘Trust’) and covers all working environments. 

4. RESPONSIBILITY OF EMPLOYER 

The Trust recognises and accepts its responsibilities identified within the Manual Handling 

Operations Regulations (1992) and the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974). It will 

endeavour, so far as is reasonably practicable, to avoid the need for its employees to 

undertake any manual handling operations which involve a risk of them being injured. 

It will implement a risk assessment process that identifies the safest approach for moving and 

handling people or objects. 

Managers are responsible for developing a safe system of work and ensuring compliance with 

those systems through information, instruction, supervision and training. 



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5. RISK ASSESSMENT – ORGANISATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS 

Service Managers should nominate staff to be trained as assessors. These staff will be 

trained by the Manual Handling Advisor and must be given management support in order to 

carry out their duties. However, in respect of the district nursing service all nursing staff of 

staff nurse grade and above will be trained to undertake risk assessment in respect of 

handling patients. 

5.1 Work Based Manual Handling Risk Assessors/Instructors 

• Carry out manual handling risk assessments and make appropriate 

recommendations, which avoids hazardous manual handling. 

• Give instruction to new staff during the induction period and ‘on the job’ training 

as required. 

• Train and coach staff in their own area. 

• Monitor and counsel staff in order to avoid hazardous manual handling. 

• Promote changes in practice which avoid manual handling risk. 

• Ensure that suitable training programmes exist. 

• Monitor manual handling techniques in the workplace. 

• Disseminate new handling techniques to all staff. 

• Offer general suggestions for improvements in manual handling practice to 

appropriate officers. 

• Assessors/instructors in patient areas should ensure condemned techniques 

are not used. Persistent use of these techniques in an area should be brought 

to the attention of the appropriate manager as a matter of urgency. 

• Assessors/instructors in non-patient areas should ensure unsafe techniques are 

not used. 

• Persistent poor handling should be brought to the appropriate manager’s 

attention. 

6. RESPONSIBILITIES OF EMPLOYEES 

• It is every employee’s responsibility to evaluate manual handling operations that 

occur during their work and to ensure the assessment remains valid. Every 

employee must take steps within their control to reduce risk of injury to 

themselves, patients, carers and other colleagues. 

• Should an employee feel that they are not able to execute a task without risk of 

injury, they should inform their line manager, who then has a duty to act on this 

information. 



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• Employees must observe/establish safe systems of work. 

• Employees must use equipment provided for manual handling operations and 

reporting defects as appropriate. 

• Employees must participate in training. 

• Employees have a duty to alert their employer to any physical conditions, which 

might reasonably be considered to affect their ability to handle loads safely 

• Employees have a duty to report all injuries and accidents to the Manager and 

complete an incident report form as soon as possible after the event. Near 

misses should also be reported to the Manager to enable preventative action to 

be taken. 

• Staff in breach of any aspect of the Manual Handling Policy may have 

disciplinary action against them. 

7. OPERATIONAL REMEDIAL ACTION 

In response to any employee’s concerns regarding manual handling operations, Service 

Managers have the direct day-to-day responsibility to provide immediate advice when possible 

and to undertake remedial action. They should seek advice from the Manual Handling Advisor 

and Risk Manager as appropriate. 

If a risk assessment identifies hazardous techniques, a balanced decision making 

approach should be used ensuring that: 

• Staff are not required to perform tasks that put them and patients at risk 

unreasonably. 

• Patient’s personal wishes on mobility assistance are respected wherever 

possible. 

• Patient’s independence and autonomy is supported as fully as possible. 

The family should be informed of Manual Handling Operations Regulation (1992) and 

the legal requirements involved. The full implications of handling risk to all concerned 

should be discussed. 

Following consultation with patient and family, Service Managers in liaison with their 

Directors and the Risk Manager, will have the authority to withdraw aspects of the 

service if a safe system of work cannot be agreed on. 

In the case of a near miss, the Service Manager should provide written details to the Risk 

Manager together with recommendations for remedial action. An IRI form should be 

completed. 

NB Equipment supplied by the Trust will be delivered and assembled on the ground floor of 

homes (with the exception of flats). The assessing health care professional should make this 

clear to relatives prior to requesting equipment. 



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8. MANDATORY TRAINING 

Training is mandatory for all staff non-clinical and clinical. Non-clinical staff will be offered 

training on induction and every 3 years. This will give staff an awareness of the legislation and 

its application and an understanding of ergonomics and the safe lifting of inanimate loads. 

All clinical staff will receive training from the Manual Handling Advisor and the training will be 

in a modular form. All staff will access the first 2 modules and the further modules will be for 

staff who handle patients. A competency assessment booklet will accompany all training to 

ensure staff have evidence of their competency level. See Appendix 1 for further details of 

training required for different staff groups. 

Additional training in the workplace for specific staff groups can be arranged with the Manual 

Handling Advisor. 

9. RESPONSIBILITY OF MANUAL HANDLING ADVISOR 

Will have the nominated day-to-day responsibility for ensuring the provision of up-to-date 

professional advice on manual handling matters, monitoring the implementation of the policy 

and identifying areas of actual or potential concern. 

The Manual Handling Advisor will develop and provide a comprehensive training programme 

for all grades of staff, tailored to the requirements of specific groups. 

The Manual Handling Advisor will develop and maintain effective networks and relationships 

with link persons in the Trust, and key agencies outside in order to allow the safer lifting policy 

to be effective and to influence best practice in the workplace. 

10. RESPONSIBILITIES OF LINK PERSONS (PEOPLE HANDLERS) 

The link person (nurse, occupational therapist or physiotherapist) will be supported by the 

Manual handling advisor at Link Group Meetings so they can provide the following at each 

base: 

• Theoretical aspects of training in moving and handling where required. 

• Updating the moving and handling manual and ensuring all staff are aware of 

new supplements. 

• Practical demonstrations of techniques for individual patients, in conjunction 

with moving/handling advisor where appropriate. 

• Liaise any areas of concern from team members at link meetings. 

Students or Temporary Staff 

• Must be shown how to handle patients/equipment on an individual basis by the 

trained nurse involved. 



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11. OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH 

Staff recruitment and selection procedures are designed to identify potential employees who 

would be at risk from manual handling injury. Pre-employment screening is therefore 

essential. 

Staff suffering a muscular skeletal injury or significant back problem will be offered support by 

the Occupational Health Department. 

12. GUIDANCE FOR DISTRICT NURSES – HOW TO MANAGE A PATIENT WHO HAS 

FALLEN 

12.1 The Falling Patient 

If the patient is collapsing and cannot be persuaded to stand, he must be lowered to the 

ground immediately. 

Health Care Professionals to execute the following moves. She/He: 

• Releases her/his hold of the patient 

• Moves behind the patient 

• Opens her/his hands and takes one step back 

• Allows the patient to slide to the floor 

• Lets the patient remain in a sitting position on the floor 

• If the patient has fainted, then the health care professional can kneel and allow 

the patient to lie down. He/She then repositions himself/herself to place patient 

in the recovery position 

Source: 

‘The Guide to the Handling Of Patients 5 th Edition 

Assessment 

Make the area safe. Assess the patient for injury. If the patient is unconscious or injured call 

the Ambulance Service on 999. 

12.2 The Uninjured Conscious Fallen Person 

This technique is useful to teach people who live alone and who regularly fall. It provides 

reassurance to them that they can get up by themselves and do not always have to wait for 

help to arrive. 

• Stay calm and remain with the person, do not let them hurry to get up. 

• Place a pillow under the person’s head and wait until they feel ready to try to 

get up. If necessary sit on the floor next to him and reassure them until they 

feel less disorientated. 

• Encourage the person to bend up both knees (one at a time) and roll onto their 

side, and press down with their lower elbow and upper hand to raise onto all 

fours. 

• Lean on the chair using both hands. 

• Instruct the person to raise one leg and place one foot on the floor. 

• Push up to straighten legs and turn to sit onto the chair. 



2009 



If the patient is unable to use this technique a hoist should be used. Staff must never 

manually lift a fallen patient from the floor except in a life threatening emergency, i.e. bomb, 

bullet, fire or flood. 

13. SAFE SYSTEM OF WORK FOR EMPLOYEES 

MANUAL HANDLING OF LOADS 

It is essential that the following procedures are followed when undertaking any manual 

handling exercise. 

Thirty three per cent of accidents are caused as a result of manual handling operations. 

These include transporting or supporting of a load or person (including the lifting, putting down, 

pushing, pulling, carrying or moving thereof) by hand or bodily force. 

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 aim to reduce injury by avoiding handling 

tasks via mechanisation or by using the steps shown below: 

14.1 Main Steps to Correct Lifting 

1. Keep feet shoulder width apart, one foot ahead of the other in the direction of 

the intended movement. 

2. Keep the knees bent but not squat, the most effective power is gained by using the 

thigh muscles. 

3. Keep the arms close to the body as near as the centre of gravity as possible. 

4. Use the fingers and the palm of the hand to lift, rather than the tips of fingers. 

5. To avoid curving the spine, keep the chin out and up. 

14.2 General Information 

Take care when working above head height, even with “light” loads. 

Adopt a good base position when lifting, especially if moving objects from group level. Do not 

use your chair. 

Assess the weight of unknown objects before attempting to lift. Do not attempt to lift anything 

outside your capabilities. Seek assistance from other employees. 

If possible balance objects either side of the body when carrying. 

Where possible, split loads e.g. a box of A3 photocopying paper is 30kg. The box must be 

opened and packs lifted individually or two people must lift the box together. 

Only use identified moving aids to move equipment. 



2009 



Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 

References 

The Code to the Handling of Patients 5 th Edition published by National Back Pain Association 

in collaboration with Royal College of Nursing 2005 

‘Safer Handling of People in the Community’ produced by BackCare 1999 

Handling Home Care published by HSE 2001 



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Appendix 1 

Clinical Staff Training Needs 

Passport Modules 

Update 

Required 1 2 3 4 5 6 

Staff Group 

(Years) 

Dental 3 * 

Podiatry 3 * 

District Nursing Annually 

Health Visiting 3 

Midwifery 3 

Sexual Health 3 

School Nurses 3 

Walk-in/Access Centres 3 

Community Matrons 3 

Specialist Nurses (i.e. Heart 

3 

Failure, Macmillans, TV, CCN) 

OTs Annually 

Physios Annually 

Special School Nurses Annually 

Speech and Language 3 

Out of Hours 3 

Practice Nurses 3 * 

Social Care Annually 

Paediatric Carers Annually 

* Falling patient only 

All staff to access modules identified above. Existing staff must ensure they have 

completed the modules identified in their service every 3 years. 

Staff who move patients i.e. OTs, Physios and Community Nurses must have an 

annual update and this can take the form of a competency assessment. 

Module 1 = Theory 

Module 2 = Object Handling 

Module 3 = Bed Techniques 

Module 4 = Sit to Stand 

Module 5 = Hoists 

Module 6 = Risk Assessments

Appendix 2 

ACCESS TO A PORTABLE HOIST. 

GUIDANCE FOR THE USE OF EMERGENCY HOIST (for Halton Patients only) 

• The hoist should only be used by staff that are trained in the assembly and 

use of the hoist. 

• The hoist has a weight limit of 19 stone and is for emergency use only e.g. 

the fallen patient who has been assessed by a health care professional and 

has no apparent injuries. 

• The patient with unpredictable weight bearing capacity (off-legs syndrome): 

• In an emergency where a patient’s own hoist may be out of action: 

THE AMBULANCE SERVICE SHOULD BE CONTACTED ON 999 IF THE PATIENT 

IS UNCONSCIOUS OR INJURED 

The hoists for Halton are located at: 

Halton Haven, Runcorn (01928 712728) 

Health Care Resource Centre, Widnes (Dental Dept F 02 0151 495 5000) 

1. Reception staff at either location should be informed that a taxi will be collecting 

the hoist. 

2. Grosvenor Taxis 01928 577777 should be contacted (stating NHS contract) and 

the hoist will be delivered to the requested address. 

3. Staff should complete the drivers receipt book (which is kept in the bag). He will 

retain the blue copy. Yellow copy to be sent to Finance. 

4. If the hoist breaks down out of hours, the carers should contact the District 

Nursing Out of Hours who are responsible for ensuring that the carers using the 

hoist are trained and competent in its use. Halton Equipment Service (01928 

582922) should be informed ASAP to arrange for Trust drivers to collect the 

hoist after use. 

See Appendix 2 showing flowchart for process of procurement of emergency 

hoist.

Appendix 3 

Process for Procurement of Emergency Hoist in Halton 

Hoist breaks down 

Leads/connections and power supply 

checked. 

Patient/carer contacts Independent Living Centre, Runcorn 

(01928 582920) 

Out of hours 

Working Hours (9am-5pm) 

9-5pm weekends/ 

bank holidays 

5pm-9am 

Answer machine message will tell 

them to contact evenings and 

nights District Nursing service 

Admin staff will ascertain fault and 

provide replacement hoist if necessary or 

replacement part i.e. battery or 

contact engineer for repair (non urgent) 

Nursing service arrange for delivery of emergency 

hoist (kept at Halton Haven or HCRC) 

Nursing team instruct carers on use of 

hoist and ensure patient is safe 

Nursing team inform HICES of emergency 

and need to contact engineer 

HICES contact engineer to repair hoist 

HICES arrange collection/ 

decontamination of emergency hoist and 

provide replacement hoist from stock 

Engineer provides report regarding break 

down and HICES takes appropriate action

Appendix 4 

Procurement Of Emergency Hoist Equipment In St Helens 

In case of Hoist Breakdown 

During working hours contact Knowsley Stores on 0151 289 6668 

After 4.30pm the Maintainance Engineer should be contacted on 07768 718305 

If Equipment is required at weekends 

The on call driver should be contacted on 07798 668773 between 8.30am and 4.30 

pm Saturday and Sunday.

Safer Manual Handling Policy - Halton and St Helens PCT

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