Hazardous Manual Tasks and Manual Handling - Overview
What is Manual Handling?
Manual tasks (also known as Manual handling) involves using your body to lift, lower, push, pull, carry, or otherwise move, hold, or restrain any person, animal, or thing. Manual tasks cover a wide range of activities, including:
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pushing and pulling
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lifting and lowering
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carrying and restraining.
Examples of manual tasks include:
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stacking shelves
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working on a conveyor line
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entering data into a computer.
Not all manual tasks are hazardous. A manual task becomes hazardous when one or more of the following risk factors are present:
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repetitive or sustained force
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high or sudden force
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repetitive movement
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sustained or awkward posture
Under the WHS Act, all businesses must provide adequate information, instruction, training, and supervision to staff in order for them to be able to perform their jobs safely. This includes information and instruction on manual tasks that may be hazardous.
It is up to business owners and company directors to ensure these provisions are met.
Available Education
Manual Handling: Hazardous Manual Tasks Course - Model WHS Laws
(2 hours on site)
Hazardous Manual Handling Training - VIC OHS legislation
(2 hours on site)
Workstation Set-up & Manual Handling Basics
(3.5 hours on site)
Risk Management of Hazardous Manual Tasks Course
(3.5 hours on site)
Workstation Ergonomic Assessments
(Contact for price)
Online Learning: Manual Tasks for Workers
(eLearning)
What manual handling education should be provided to workers?
Section 19 f of the NSW WHS Act 2011 states that an organisation (person conducting a business or undertaking) must provide “... any information, training, instruction or supervision that is necessary to protect all persons from risks to their health and safety.”
The Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice (page 32) further clarifies this as “If a risk of MSDs [Musculoskeletal Disorders] remains after implementing higher level control measures, then the risk must be minimised by providing information, training and instruction.”
A musculoskeletal disorder is an injury or disease of the muscular or skeletal system. This can occur in two ways:
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Over time as a result of gradual damage to muscles and the skeletal system from poor manual handling techniques
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Sudden damage caused by unexpected forces or heavy loads (this does not include injuries from crushing or entrapment)
Some examples of musculoskeletal disorders are:
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Chronic pain
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Sprains and strains
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Back injuries and injuries to the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hands, hip, knee, ankle, and feet
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Nerve injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome
What Manual handling education is available?
Courtenell provides several practically oriented information and instruction sessions in hazardous manual tasks. This includes physical tasks as well as workstation tasks and set ups. These are short sessions that require participants to correctly demonstrate performing manual tasks correctly and be signed off by the facilitator. Participation in the program may serve the business as evidence that the business has provided "information" and "instruction" to staff for them to be able to do their jobs safely, as part of the requirements in Section 19 of the WHS Act.
WHS Risk Management training is also provided by Courtenell and can be tailored towards managing risks around hazardous manual tasks specifically in accordance with the requirements under the WHS Act and WHS Regulation.
Whose duty is it to manage WHS risks in relation to Musculoskeletal Disorders?
Clause 60 of the WHS Regulation says: “A person conducting a business or undertaking must manage risks to health and safety relating to a musculoskeletal disorder associated with a hazardous manual task.”
This duty belongs to the organisation (PCBU.)
Directors and business owners must ensure that the business has a WHS management system that can:
1. IDENTIFY any hazardous manual tasks in their workplace
2. ASSESS how injury could occur and the degree of risk that it represents to their workforce
3. CONTROL the risk to the lowest level possible (if it cannot be eliminated entirely) using a variety of control measures; such as, using mechanical lifting aids, rotating workers between different tasks, adjusting workstations, and providing manual handling training for workers so they can effectively use any control measure implemented
4. MONITOR and REVIEW the workplace and the effectiveness of control measures put in place to protect workers
These steps are covered in the Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice.