Managing Manual Handling Risks

August is Tradies National Health Month – an awareness initiative that focuses on the importance of tradies health. One of the main injury risks for tradies is manual handling injuries.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) from hazardous manual handling accounts for approximately 70% of all workers compensation claims.

Current Facts and Figures

Did you know that almost 40%* of serious workplace health and safety claims are related to manual handling? 

*According to Safe Work Australia Key WHS statistics, 2022, for serious injury claims.

Definition of serious claim = incapacity requiring absence of work > 1 week

With a need to move, lift and adjust various equipment throughout the day in most workplaces, this risk cannot be eliminated. Manual handling continues to be the most signicant contributer to workers compensation claims within Australia. 

Overall “body stress” claims reduced by 10% over the past decade with back claims reducing by 25%, however there was an overall increase in shoulder and lower limb injuries.

Published Victorian Workcover Authority data for 2010 – 2011 states that musculoskeletal disorders contributed to 68% of claims received at a total cost to Victoria of $1 billion a year, with over 15,000 claims received at an average claim cost of $55,000 per claim.

WorkSafe Victoria’s Injury Hotspots shows that injuries to Construction labourers mostly result in back injury (17%).

• 8% of the injuries were to shoulders.

• 17% of the injuries were to backs.

• 13% of the injuries were to hands or fingers.

• 8% of the injuries were to legs.

Existing Management Methods

Historically there has been a large body of research and literature conducted on the management of manual handling risk. However, considering the amount of information available, employers have traditionally focused their resources on two main management techniques; the provision of manual handling training and claims management.  Issues associated with relying on these strategies include;

Training

Low Order Controls

• Is considered low level control (Administration).

• The training is well intended but ineffective.

• Requires appropriate supervision & monitoring of behaviour for compliance.

Claims management

• Not a risk control under the hierarchy of control as only applied after an injury has been sustained.

Provision of effective manual handling training and claims management are vital components to a best practice management program, however effective assessment and the implementation of risk controls at a higher level must form part of the program. 

Latest Assessment Techniques

The use of technology has enhanced the measurement of sources of potential manual handling strain.

The use of biofeedback measurement tools such as the “Body Strain Monitor,TM” pictured, enables postural and muscle activity data to be obtained when performing tasks in real time.  Data can be utilised to objectively detect high risk periods of actvities when the body is under unnaceptable levels of stress. The equipment can also be used to measure the impact of control methods (eg using alternate equipment, techniques) by objectively assessing the impact on the body. 

The use of traditional measurement techniques such as risk assessment, force measurement and using ergonomic modeling continue to form a vital part of the identification and measurement of manual handling risk.

Current Control Options      

The ongoing development and investment of higher order engineering controls, continues to increase the available control options available to manage MSD risk.

WHS and OHS Acts require employers to reduce manual handling injury risks so far as  they are reasonably able to.

As higher order options become more viable, these options can be considered to be reasonably practicable to be implemented. Some recent examples of effective higher order controls our clients have implemented include;

Robotic Palletiser

Robotic Palletiser

• Automatic palletising installation for food packaging.

• No human interaction with any part of operation.

• Robot picks up product, builds pallet to designated level.

• Completed pallet lowered to ground level, picked up by another robot controlled by radio frequency which delivers to storage area .

• Safeguarded area eliminating manual handling associated with palletising stock.

Pnuematic Roller for Bulk Paper Reels

• Air driven roller to roll large reels of paper into position for processing.

• Simple design of small rollers similar to trolley jack design.

• Minimises force required to move 2000kg paper roll by machine operators.

• Provision of equipment significantly reduces manual handling demands on machine operators.

Pneumatic Roller

Worksafe Victoria recommends the following actions to reduce manual handling injuries:

• Arrange for bulky materials to be delivered to the final work location or use mechanical load shifting devices (eg cranes, material hoists, forklifts, hand trucks) to move materials around site.

• If moving bins around site, consider using powered bin movers.

• Provide lifting points or handles for heavy or awkward loads.

• Order materials in smaller sizes (eg cement bags of 20kg instead of 40kg).

For More information on Tradies National Health Month visit the Australian Physiotherapy Association.