1. Manual Handling
Dietsmann HSE Awareness Campaign

2. Let Safety be your Guideline!
Prevent fatigue, prevent injuries, prevent accidents
Handling: take care of your spine, muscles and hands
Prevent risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD)

3. You need your hands! Be aware of every risk Wear protection: gloves
Always remember: hygiene

4. You need your back too! Main handling principles
Basic rules of manual handling
Identify risk situations

5. Manual handling: 3 main steps

6. Manual handling: about your back
cervical vertebrae: neck and head movements
dorsal vertebrae: connected to ribs, risk of trauma (shock, drop etc.)
lumbar vertebrae: flexion, extension, rotation & support: risk of overload and permanent damage

7. Manual handling: risks for your back
short term:
acute back injury from unique event (i.e. lifting too heavy, or in bad position)
long term:
chronic fragility/vulnerability of column
invalidity from back pain
great impact on your personal, professional and social life

8. When handling materials, with or without mechanical assistance...
be alert at all times to prevent accidents and injuries!

9. Don’t lift an excessively heavy load
Determine the weight
Too heavy?
Get help or use mechanical devices!

10. Don’t lift a load that is too large to handle
Determine the size
Too big?
Get help or use mechanical devices!

11. Lift a load only if you can get a firm grip
Assess shape and grips
Can’t hold it?
Get help or use mechanical devices!

12. Look around you: assess the location
Where are you going
Can you get there safely?
Anything elso going on?

13. Check the floor surface
Risks of falling?
Risks of stumbling?
Risks of slipping?

14. Check around you!
Any obstacles on the floor?
Or on the ceiling?
Or swinging around?

15. Make sure you can see what you’re doing!
Bad lighting?
Heavy shadow?
Anything else blocking your view?

16. When lifting an object:
Squatting position, back erect
Raise the object straightening the legs
Using leg muscles to take strain off your back

17. When lifting an object:
Avoid lifting and turning at the same time
Also, avoid jerking when pulling or lifting

18. When moving an object:
Take advantage of skids, hoists, bars, jacks, blocking or rollers when moving heavy material

19. Whatever you are lifting or moving:
Use appropriate personal protective equipment
Take special precautions when handling chemicals and hazardous materials