Manual Handling Techniques

Every day at work, plenty of activities, including lifting, pulling and pushing, carrying or moving by hand or bodily force are being performed. Actions that we learn and perform in our everyday life from the moment we first stand and walk.

Our body works hard to carry out those activities. Especially our back. But unless we prepare properly before undertaking any manual handling and then do it correctly, we could suffer serious injuries. It approaches the topic of manual handling both from the point of view of those who are to undertake a manual handling/lifting task and of those responsible for overseeing the task.

Learning objectives:

• Outline in broad terms how the human back works
• Explain how to protect against injury while carrying out the task
• Describe what to do if something goes wrong
• Describe how to prepare for, and informally assess the risks of, a manual handling/lifting task
• Identify how manual handling activities can hurt the musculoskeletal system or cause other types of injury