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Handling materials and equipment safely
5.1 5.2 5.3
Unit 201/601: Health, Safety and Welfare
in Construction
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Objectives
To be able to:
5.1 Identify legislation relating to safe handling of materials and
equipment
5.2 State procedures for safe lifting and manual handling
activities in accordance with guidance and legislation
5.3 State the importance of using lifting aids when handling
materials and equipment.
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What is manual handling?
The transportation or movement of a load from one place to
another by lifting, handling, pushing, pulling or bodily force
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Why is correct manual handling important?
• Lifting and moving loads manually is
a frequent cause of injury at work.
• 56,000 musculo-skeletal injuries in
construction every year resulting
from manual handling incidents:
spinal (back) injury is most common
but crushed fingers, toes and limbs
is common, too.
• The legal lifting maximums are 16Kg
for women and 25Kg for men. But
there is no truly ‘safe’ weight for
manual handling operations so try to
find alternatives.
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5.1 Legislation relating to safe handling of materials
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 2002 places the following
duties on employers:
• Employers must carry out risk assessments to record and evaluate risk
• Whenever possible, employers should arrange work systems to avoid having
employees do any manual handling operations that could pose a risk to
health and safety
• Employers must take steps to remove or reduce the risk of injury as far
as possible
• Employers must provide employees with adequate information (training)
to carry out manual handling operations safely
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5.1 Legislation relating to safe handling of materials
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 2002
places the following duties on employees:
• You must follow the safe systems of work that
your employer has put in place
• You must make proper use of the equipment
provided by your employer (and only use it if you
are trained to do so)
• You must make sure that your activities do not
endanger others
• You must stop and assess each manual handling
operation before you begin it:
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Every time you assess a manual handling task, you
must take into account these factors:
• The load: bulk, size and weight
• The distance to travel: plan your route, including…
• The environment: work space obstacles, weather
conditions, other staff and the public
• Your individual capability
• Can a load be reduced in weight by breaking it
down into smaller loads?
• Is assistance available and appropriate: can you
work with another person or use a lifting aid such as
a trolley or pulley?
5.2 Procedures for safe lifting and manual handling
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Clockwise from top left:
• Lift mates and grab lifters
• Pulley/hoist
• Wheelbarrow
• Platform trucks x2
• Pallet truck
5.3 Lifting aids
For use only if you are trained, competent and authorised to use them
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A sack barrow makes a great lifting aid
Don’t forget
to look
where
you’re going!
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If working together, make sure you both stand on the
same side of the load, like this:
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5.2 Kinetic lifting technique
• Place your feet shoulder-width apart,
giving a balanced and stable base for
lifting
• When lifting from a low level, bend your
knees, but do not kneel
• Keep your back straight (tucking in your
chin helps)
• Keep the heaviest side of the load closest
to your body
• Don't twist your body when turning to the
side: reposition your feet instead
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Can’t he read
the sticker?
I’m off to get my overalls
stuck in some machinery
