Why is Manual Handling Training Important?

As a business, it is your responsibility to make sure your employees are properly trained. Part of this training, should include manual handling training. Failure to provide proper manual handling training could lead to workplace injury, and leave you liable. You might think that manual handling training is only applicable in environments such as factories, where heavy lifting is commonplace. However, something simple such as moving boxes of paper from one place to the other can cause injury, so it is important that your staff are trained in some capacity.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) report that a third of all workplace injuries are avoidable with proper manual handling training. It is simply not good enough to have one person familiar with the best practices for manual handling, as this person cannot be all places at all times to make sure this best practice is followed. The best way to tackle manual handling is by making sure that the best practices are taught to everyone in the organization. You never know when employees might try and access something on a high shelf or move a large box by themselves. So, it is best to be prepared for all eventualities.

The first step to making sure your staff is properly trained is to identify the potential risks in your workplace. You should do this by having an extensive risk assessment carried out. This not only applies to manual handling, but it should also identify other potential risks in the environment too. If you need help with your risk assessments, you should contact ISA Support. By properly identifying the risks, you can then work to reduce the amount of potential accidents.

Once you know what the potential risks are, you should make sure the training covers the essential steps to make sure they are fixed. The training should cover the basics of lifting and carrying, how to avoid awkward postures, how to safely lift,  and how to limit the amount of twisting is done while carrying heavy objects. As well as this, employees should be familiar with the correct handling technique. Failure to use correct manual handling techniques can cause a range of back, muscle and neck injuries, and in worst cases, it can caused prolonged musculoskeletal disorders.

ISA (Business Development & Support Services) provide a wide range of training courses. This includes manual handling training courses to businesses of varying sizes. Their courses are focused around reducing manual handling injuries that occur during heavy manual labour and small manual handling tasks.

For more information on their manual handling training courses, please visit their website.