Manual handling: practical ways to cut lifting injuries
Short answer: take the lift out of the job before you train people to lift. The Ergonomics Regulations, 2019 require you to assess manual handling and control it using the hierarchy of controls, which starts with elimination and ends with personal protective equipment. They set no maximum weight.
The regulations were published as Government Notice R. 1589 in Government Gazette 42894 on 6 December 2019 and came into operation on publication. They never use the words "manual handling". Lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling fall under their broad definition of an ergonomic risk: "a characteristic or action in the workplace, workplace conditions, or a combination thereof that may impair overall system performance and human well-being".
The regulations set no weight limit
Neither the regulations nor the explanatory notes published with them set a kilogram limit. The Department of Employment and Labour's Ergonomics Programme Approach for the Ergonomics Regulations (December 2019) lists lifting, pushing and pulling heavy loads among its examples of ergonomics risk factors, but gives no weight figure either. A figure on a poster or in a training course is not a limit set by these regulations.
That makes practical sense. The risk of a lift depends on far more than the weight: how often it is done, how far the load is held from the body, how high or low it starts and ends, twisting, grip, carrying distance, the floor and the space around the task. A light box lifted from floor level hundreds of times a shift can be riskier than a heavier item moved once a day. An assessment by a competent person can weigh these factors; a single number cannot.
The duties that apply to lifting
Assess it (regulation 6): before the work starts, by a competent person, and at intervals not exceeding two years. Review it sooner if, among other things, the work methods or type of work change, or an incident occurs or medical surveillance reveals an adverse health effect where ergonomic risks contributed.
Control it (regulation 7): prevent exposure or, where that is not reasonably practicable, control it adequately, "in accordance with the hierarchy of controls".
Keep the controls working (regulation 9): as far as is reasonably practicable, controls must be fully implemented and maintained in good working order. The explanatory notes recommend a planned maintenance programme, with a system for employees to report defects.
Train people (regulation 3): before they are placed in the workplace. Training must cover, among other things, the control measures in place and the precautions employees must take.
Employees' part (regulation 4): employees must obey lawful instructions on using control measures and on reporting potential ergonomic risks.
Our article on what an ergonomics risk assessment covers sets out the full assessment duties.
Practical controls, in order
The explanatory notes list the hierarchy as elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and personal protective equipment. For manual handling, working down the hierarchy looks like this:
Eliminate the lift: redesign the process so the load is not handled by hand. Deliver straight to the point of use, feed by conveyor or gravity rollers, or move whole pallets with a pallet jack or forklift.
Use mechanical aids: trolleys, pallet jacks, hoists, vacuum lifters and scissor lift tables take the weight. Choose aids that suit the task and the space, or people will go back to lifting by hand.
Reduce weight and distance: buy materials in smaller bags or containers, split loads, and move storage closer to where items are used.
Improve layout and heights: store heavy and frequently used items between knee and shoulder height, raise work on lift tables or stands, and clear space so people can turn their feet instead of twisting.
Plan team lifts: for heavy or awkward items that cannot be mechanised, assign enough people, agree the route first and have one person call the lift.
Organise the work: rotate people between heavy and light tasks, spread handling across the shift and allow recovery time.
Train for the actual job: show people how to use the aids provided, how to check a load and route before moving it, and how to report problems. Lifting-technique training relies on people getting it right every time, so it cannot replace the steps above.
Personal protective equipment last: gloves that improve grip and safety footwear protect against cuts and crushed toes, but they do not reduce the strain of a lift.
A quick self-check
Walk the site and list every task where people lift, carry, push or pull loads. Mark the heaviest, the most frequent and the most awkward.
Check that your ergonomic risk assessment covers these tasks and is less than two years old.
For each high-risk task, ask whether you can eliminate it or use an aid you already own.
Check that trolleys, pallet jacks and hoists work and are actually used, and that defects are reported and fixed.
Look at injury records and complaints of back, shoulder or wrist pain, and review the assessment where handling contributed.
Confirm that new employees were trained before they started, including on the aids for their job.
How Qualitas can help
Our ergonomics risk assessments look at each handling task on site: the load, how often it is moved, the distances, heights and postures involved. We rank tasks by risk and recommend practical controls, starting at the top of the hierarchy, in a report written for management, SHEQ teams and auditors.
Not sure what your site needs? Start with our free Compliance Gap Analysis, request a quote, or call or WhatsApp 082 649 6599.
This article summarises the Ergonomics Regulations, 2019 (Government Notice R. 1589, Government Gazette 42894, 6 December 2019) and their explanatory notes for general guidance. It is not legal advice; refer to the regulations for the full requirements.
Christo de Wet is a SAIOH-registered occupational hygienist with 15 years' experience and the founder of Qualitas Occupational Consulting.
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