Manual Handling and Your Back

Why it matters

Sprains and strains are the most common injuries in construction, and they end careers slowly. Bricks, sheets, tools, and awkward lifts add up over a career until one ordinary lift is the one that goes. The best lift is the one a machine does. The second best is the one you planned before you bent down.

Hazards

• ⚠ Lifting loads that are too heavy or awkward for one person
• ⚠ Twisting while carrying, especially on uneven ground
• ⚠ Repetitive lifting and carrying with no rotation
• ⚠ Poor grip on sheets, blocks, and drums
• ⚠ Carrying loads up ladders or over trip hazards

Controls and safe practices

• ✓ Apply the hierarchy of controls (reg 36): eliminate the lift with a hoist, trolley, or crane before you lift by hand.
• ✓ Team-lift anything heavy or awkward, and agree who calls the lift.
• ✓ Get close, bend the knees, keep the load in tight, and turn with your feet, not your waist.
• ✓ Break loads down into smaller amounts and use mechanical aids for repeat carries.
• ✓ Clear the path first: no trip hazards between pick-up and drop-off.
• ✓ Rotate tasks so the same muscles are not loaded all shift.

Crew discussion questions

1. Which lifts on this job should really be mechanical?
2. Where is the ground uneven or cluttered on our carry paths?
3. What is heavy or awkward enough to need two people?
4. Are we rotating, or is one person doing all the carrying?

Applicable WHS citations

reg 36

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