This document discusses manual handling of materials and safety considerations. It begins by defining various manual handling activities like lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling etc. It then discusses typical causes of injuries like lifting excessive weights, improper posture, jerky movements etc. The document provides statutory provisions on maximum weights that can be lifted by adults and children. It emphasizes the importance of proper lifting technique including keeping the back straight, bending knees, keeping loads close to the body and using a firm grip. Accessories for manual handling like hand trucks, wheelbarrows, platform trucks and loaders are described. The role of good housekeeping, training and use of protective equipment are also highlighted.

1. SAFETY IN
MANUAL HANDLING OF
MATERIALS-
PART 1
T. NITYANANDA S.

2. MANUAL MATERIAL HANDLING
ACTIVITY
•PULLING - PUSHING - LIFTING -
LOWERING
•CARRYING - FEEDING MATERIAL TO MACHINE
•COLLECTING FROM MACHINE
•STACKING – LOADING
•PLACING - MIXING - PUTTING OBJECTS –
THROWING
•MANUAL HANDLING IN MECHANICAL MATERIAL
HANDLING.
• PUTTING CHAIN AROUND A JOB TO BE LIFTED
• PREPARING A HITCH
• FITTING A EYE BOLT
• FITTIG A D-SHAKLE
• PUTTING A CHAIN OR ROPE ON CRANK HOOK

3. MANUAL HANDLING – TYPICAL CAUSATION

4. A variety of physical injuries occur
during manual materials handling

5. 7 cervical (neck)
vertebrae
12 thoracic (middle
back) vertebrae
5 lumbar (low back)
vertebrae
Coccyx
(tailbone)
Low back pain or discomfort in the lumbar
region of spine is a common type of injury
Sacrum
Lumbar Spine

6. MAIN CAUSES OF INJURY IN
MANUAL MATERIALS HANDLING
•Lifting or carrying excessive weight
•Incorrect posture
•Jerky movement
•Faulty handling technique
•Not using PPE
•Poor house keeping

7. STATUTORY PROVISIONS

8. STATUTORY
PROVISIONS…
FACTORIES RULES
Maximum load to be carried, lifted or moved by hand or head
Model Rule, 64 AP Rule, 57
kg kg
Adult Male 55 50
Adult Female 30 30
Adolescent Male (15 to <18
years)
30 30
Adolescent Female (15 to <18
years)
20 20
Male Child (<15 years) 16 16
Female Child (<15 years) 14 14

9. LOAD ON ONE HAND CAUSES STRAIN
• Lifting & carrying a heavy
load by one hand [even if
this is within statutory limit
referred earlier] may result
in undue strain
• Distributing the load
wherever possible to two
hands is safer [eg., two
bags of 15 kg instead of
one of 30 kg]

10. HOW MUCH IS HEAVY?

11. CAN MORE THAN ONE PERSON
SHARE THE LOAD EQUALLY?
No ! ……… because of

13. HOW TO REDUCE COORDINATION
LOSS?
• Choose as far as possible, persons of near about the same height,
size and physique
• Synchronize the lifting, walking in step and carrying at the leader’s
command. Let one act as team leader
• Long sections to be supported on the same side shoulders, with
shoulder pads where applicable
• Total load to be lifted is not sum of each person’s capacity

14. WITH LIGHT, BULKY LOADS…..
Obstruction of vision can present
serious hazards
Beware !

15. POSTURE
• Apart from the weight of
the load, body posture for
lifting the load is crucial
• Low back pains even when
lifting up a child were
reported

16. POSTURE …..
Bending the back with legs straight to reach /
lift a load causes severe compression of
inter-vertebral disc in the lumbar region

17. 7 cervical (neck)
vertebrae
12 thoracic (middle
back) vertebrae
5 lumbar (low
back) vertebrae
Coccyx
(tailbone)
Lumbar region of spine
Sacrum
Lumbar Spine

18. PROPER LIFTING METHOD

19. LET US SEE ILLUSTRATIONS OF
THE ELEMENTS OF PROPER
LIFTING METHOD

20. STRAIGHT BACK & BENT LEGS

21. STRAIGHT BACK & BENT LEGS….
Professional
weight lifters also
follow this
principle. In this
posture the load
gets transmitted to
hip muscles
without damaging
the spine.

22. STRAIGHT BACK & BENT LEGS….
Poor lifting technique Good lifting technique
Bent back; straight legs Straight back; bent legs

23. Keeping loads
close to the
body reduces
forces on the
low back &
hands and
improves the
balance
LOAD CLOSE TO THE BODY

24. FIRM GRIP
• Size up the load first.
• Grip with palm, not with fingers
alone
• Grip at diagonally opposite corners,
one at the bottom and the other at
the top.
These facilitate good grip
and bring the load close to
the body

25. PUTTING THE LOAD BACK
Let the farther bottom corner touch the floor base
first, to avoid pinching of fingers

26. FOR LOADS NOT AMENABLE
FOR HANDLING FOR ONE PERSON---
either take help of another person or use
mechanical handling device

33. HANDLING WIDE PLANKS

34. HANDLING LONG OBJECTS
Always keep the front end high - about
2 m – so as not to hurt passers by

35. WHILE SHIFTING MATERIAL THROUGH
DOORWAYS ….
Beware of the clearance at the door frame and the possible pinching
of hands / knuckles. The same hazard exists when hand carts are
taken through narrow doorways

36. AVOID RAPID, JERKY, TWISTING MOTIONS
What is common in
these illustrations?

37. ACCESSORIES TO
MANUAL HANDLING

40. WHEELS REPRESENT
MOBILITY & EASE
Dollies

43. 2-WHEEL HAND TRUCKS /
WHEEL BOROUGHS
• Handles present pinch points to hands
while passing through door or wall
opening. Knuckle guards at the handles
eliminate the hazard
• Avoid excessive load. Do not load
beyond the handle
contd. -----

44. 2-WHEEL HAND TRUCKS /
WHEEL BOROUGHS ---
* Let not the load exceed the truck’s rated
capacity.
* Place the load so that it will not slip, shift or
fall. Use the straps, if they are provided, to
secure the load.
* Keep the center of gravity of the load as low
as possible by placing heavier objects below
the lighter objects.
* Push the truck at such an inclination that the
weight comes on the axle and not on the handles.
• When going down an incline, keep the hand truck in front of
you so that it can be controlled at all times.
• Move hand trucks at a walking pace.

45. SAFE USE OF
HAND TRUCK
/ WHEEL
BARROW
Knuckle guards
Wheels within the frame of hand truck
Wheel guards preferred
Brakes to avoid stopping with foot on wheel / axle
Centre of gravity of load, Load not to shift
In good repair

46. POWERED HAND TRUCK
- Dangerous kind of hand truck.
Operators must be
trained to use it
- Never operate a powered truck
with wet or greasy hands
- Always keep a hand on the handle
and face the direction of travel
• Stay alert for pedestrians and obstructions. Stop
at intersections to avoid collisions
• Never ride or permit others to ride on the truck

47. LOW PALLET TRUCK
Safety Features
•Three point finger
[raise, neutral and
lower] control
•Safety loop handle
•Leak proof
hydraulic pump

48. PLATFORM TRUCKS
•Four-wheeled trucks can be easily tipped, so make
sure that the load is balanced and secure.
•Loose material on truck may fall off and cause tripping
hazard.
•Be sure you can see over the load. Otherwise, get
someone to serve as guide.

49. PLATFORM TRUCKS
• Place your hands properly so they won't get squeezed or crushed by the load
• Trucks may be pulled or pushed. Generally these are pushed, except for the truck
equipped with a fifth wheel and a pulling handle.

51. PUSHING X PULLING …..
Back, arm &
shoulder strain
can be reduced
by pushing as
against pulling
--------------------------------------

52. PUSHING X PULLING – ADDITIONAL FACTORS
•Pusher can watch the load
on truck, take corrective action
in time in case of unstable load,
look for obstructions /
unevenness in the foreground
thereby preventing jerks to the
load.
• Possibility of legs bumping
against the truck wheel is low.
• It is advisable to push while
going down the incline kso as
to prevent the risk of being run
over by the truck in the event of
losing grip on the truck.
•Puller can also look for
obstructions / floor unevenness
, but cannot watch the load.
• Runs the risk of the wheels
bumping against the ankles.
• It is advisable to pull while
going up the incline

53. Special
Hand Truck
for Safe
Gas
Cylinder
Handling

54. SPECIAL TRUCKS FOR OXY- ACETYLENE CYLINDERS -
REQUIREMENTS OF IS 8016- 1996 (REAFFIRMED 2017)
MARKING
•Load carrying capacity
•Manufacturer
•Serial no. of
Manufacturer
•Year of Manufacture
OTHERS
•Transport within premises
•Not for transport over
long distances / public
roads
•USE only if the object
cannot be moved easily
•Robust, but light

55. HAND TROLLEY FOR OXY- ACETYLENE CYLINDER UNITS
FOR USE IN INDUSTRIES

56. Mobile
Drum
Carrier
and
Tilter

58. HAND TROLLEY FOR OIL DRUMS

59. LOADER
Can be positioned at proper height to avoid bending, stretching and
strain for shifting the load to the floor [as in the inset]

61. MOBILE SCISSOR-LIFT
[FOOT OPERATED HYDRAULIC JACK]
•Suitable for
lifting,
transporting
and loading

62. POWER-OPERATED SCISSOR-LIFT
[STATIONARY OR MOBILE]

63. MOBILE CONVEYOR
Useful for loading / unloading trucks,
railway wagons and for stacking and
de-stacking

64. EXOSKELETONS
•External frame that can
be worn to support the
body, either to help a
person overcome an
injury or to enhance their
biological capacities.
• Powered by a system of
electric motors, the frame
gives limbs extra
movement, strength and
endurance.

66. COMMON PPE FOR MANUAL HANDLING
Safety Shoe [seen under
Impact Test]
Chrome leather gloves
Cotton & Canvas Gloves

69. MANAGEMENT INITIATIVES:
MANUAL HANDLING
•Minimizing manual handling of materials
•Mechanization to replace Repetitive manual
handling activities
•Adequate training of workers assigned to
manual handling.
•Using suitable handling accessories /devices
Strict adherence to statutory limits

70. GOOD HOUSEKEEPING …
IMPORTANT FOR SAFE MATERIALS HANDLING
REMOVES TRIPPING HAZARDS

71. GOOD HOUSEKEEPING …
MARKING AND KEEPING AISLES CLEAR, IS
NECESSARY FOR SAFE MATERIALS HANDLING

72. POSTURE &
FLOOR LEVEL