Safety Induction to the Lift & Escalator Industry Part 4a – Manual Handling Part 4a – Manual Handling

Contents 2 Part 1 – Working in the Industry Part 2 – Personal Safety & Health Part 3 – Tools & Equipment Part 4a – Manual Handling Part 4b – Mechanical Handling Part 5 – Working Places and Safe Access Part 6a – Working Safely - General Part 6b – Working Safely - Specific Areas Part 6c – Working Safely - Other situations Part 7 – First Aid Part 8 – Environmental Protection Part 9 – Legal Obligations Part 10 – Accident Reporting and Recording

Introduction Manual handling is the biggest single cause of injury in the lift industry Get help if the load is greater than 25kg, awkward or beyond your capacity Avoid lifting and handling parts manually whenever possible Make use of lifting aids: fork lift trucks, sack barrows and lifting tackle Part 4a - Manual Handling 3

Introduction If you need to lift weights in excess of the values shown on the chart an assessment must be carried out to determine the safest way of carrying out the job and the things required to ensure the risks are reduced Part 4a - Manual Handling 4

Frequent lifting and lowering Reduce the weights in the table if lifting more than 30 times per hour reduce the weights by 30% if the operation is repeated once or twice per minute by 50% if the operation is repeated five to eight times a minute by 80% where the operation is repeated more than 12 times a minute Part 4a - Manual Handling 5

Considerations before Lifting: - Think TILE T – Task I - Individual L - Load E - Environment Part 4a - Manual Handling 6

Task Does it involve:  Holding loads away from the body?  Twisting stooping or reaching upwards?  Large vertical movement?  Long carrying distances?  Strenuous pushing or pulling? Can you make use of lifting aids? Can you reduce carrying distances? Can you avoid twisting and stooping? Can you obtain help to move the load? Part 4a - Manual Handling 7

Individual: Does the job  Require unusual capability?  Endanger those with a health problem or disability?  Call for special information or training? Are you strong enough to lift the load? Have you received training in Manual Handling? Do you have sufficient information (eg the weight of the load) Part 4a - Manual Handling 8

Load:  Is the load :  Heavy bulky or unwieldy?  Difficult to grasp?  Unstable or likely to move unpredictably?  Harmful – eg sharp edges?  Awkwardly stacked?  Too large for you to see over? Can you split the load to reduce the weight? Can you do anything to make the load easier to grasp? Do you need gloves to protect your hands from sharp edges? Would unpacking the load make the task easier? Can you estimate the weight of the load? * *For metal objects a rough estimate in kg can be found by multiplying the volume in m 3 by 6000 Part 4a - Manual Handling 9

Environment: Are there:  Extremes of heat or cold?  Constraints on posture?  Obstructions or slippery floors  Variations in levels?  Poor lighting conditions?  Foul weather conditions (when outdoors)? Can you exercise to warm up before lifting? Can you walk the route first and spot any hazards? Can you move any obstructions in your way? Can you avoid any steps and ramps or slippery surfaces? Can you improve the lighting? Part 4a - Manual Handling 10

Before you do anything Stop and Think! Plan what you are going to do Can you use anything to help you? Where are you going with the load? Do you need any help? Are there any obstructions to be avoided or negotiated? Keep the load close to the waist. Keep the load close to the body for as long as possible while lifting. Keep the heaviest side of the load next to the body. If you can't get close to the load, then try to slide it towards the body before attempting to lift it. Part 4a - Manual Handling 11

Adopt a stable position. Feet apart with one leg slightly forward to maintain balance Move your feet during the lift to maintain stability Avoid tight clothing or unsuitable footwear Get a good hold. Keep the load as close as possible to the body As you start to lift slight bending of the back, hips and knees is preferable to fully flexing the back (stooping) or fully flexing your hips and knees (squatting) Don't flex your back any further while lifting. Part 4a - Manual Handling 12

Avoid twisting the back or leaning sideways, especially while your back is bent. Shoulders should be kept level and facing in the same direction as the hips. Turning by moving the feet is better than twisting and lifting at the same time. Keep your head up when handling. Look ahead, not down at the load, once it has been held securely. Move smoothly. The load should not be jerked or snatched as this can make it more difficult to control and increases the risk of injury Part 4a - Manual Handling 13 

Put the load down then adjust it If necessary, put it down first and slide it into its final position Part 4a - Manual Handling 14

Remember: Do not lift or handle more than you can easily manage. Different people have different capabilities. If in doubt either seek advice or get help Part 4a - Manual Handling 15

Team lifting One person should plan a team lift. He must: take complete charge be solely responsible for the safe completion of the task undertake an assessment of the lifting, manoeuvring and final location of the item inform the lifting party of what the job involves and how it is to be done Part 4a - Manual Handling 16

Team lifting Team lifting may introduce additional problems which the assessment should consider. The load that a team can handle safely is less than the loads that the individual team members could cope with working alone. On steps or slopes most of the weight may be borne by the handler at the lower end Part 4a - Manual Handling 17

Team lifting Part 4a - Manual Handling 18 Team numberTeam Capability Two People 2 / 3 individual capability Three People 1 / 2 individual capability Four PeopleUnlikely to work successfully

Thank you for Attending Any Questions? Part 4a - Manual Handling 19