What is Manual Handling?

Manual handling covers a wide range of activities including lifting, pushing, pulling, holding, throwing and carrying. It includes repetitive tasks such as packing, typing, assembling, cleaning and sorting, using hand tools and operating machinery and equipment.

Because most jobs involve some type of manual handling, most workers are at risk of manual handling injury. Of course, not all manual handling tasks are hazardous. But it is significant that around 50% of all CFA injuries are caused by manual handling.

What Kind of Injuries can Result from Manual Handling?

Unsafe manual handling may cause a range of injuries and conditions including:

• muscle sprains and strains
• injuries to muscles, ligaments, intervertebral discs and other structures in the back
• injuries to soft tissues such as nerves, ligaments and tendons in the wrist, arms, shoulders, neck or legs
• abdominal hernias
• chronic pain

Some of these conditions are known as repetitive strain injury (RSI), occupational overuse syndrome (OOS), cumulative trauma disorder (CTD) and work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WRMSD).

Manual Handling Risk

As with all other hazards, CFA has a responsibility to identify, assess and control hazardous manual handling activities. Hazardous manual handling is defined as any manual handling activity, which has any of a number of following characteristics

• Repetitive or sustained application of force
• Repetitive or sustained awkward posture
• Repetitive or sustained movement
• Application of high force
• Exposure to sustained vibration
• Manual handling of live persons or animals
• Manual handling of unbalanced loads or loads that are difficult to grip