3.14 Manual Handling Policy 

It will be the policy of Glin National College that, where possible, mechanical devices will be provided for handling so that the requirement for manual handling is minimised.

An assessment will be carried out by a competent person from within or outside the organisation before manual handling proceeds.

The assessor will look at the following four areas to best decide whether manual handling should take place. The four areas are as follows:

1. The characteristics of the load

2. The physical effort required

3. The characteristics of the working environment

4. The requirements of the activity

1.   The characteristics of the load

An assessor may find that the manual handling of a load may present a risk if it is:

• Too heavy or too large

• Unwieldy or difficult to grasp

• Unstable or has contents likely to shift

• Positioned in a manner requiring it to be held or manipulated at a distance from the trunk or with bending or twisting of the trunk

• Likely, because of its contours or consistency (or both), to result in injury to employees, particularly in the event of a collision

2.   The physical effort required

An assessor may decide that the physical effort required may present a risk if it is:

• Too strenuous

• Only achieved by a twisting movement of the trunk

• It is likely to result in a sudden movement of the load

• Made with the body in an unstable posture.

3.   The characteristics of the working environment

The assessor may decide that the work environment may present an increased risk if:

• There is not enough room, in particular vertically, to carry out the activity

• The floor is uneven, thus presenting tripping hazards, or the floor is slippery in relation to the employee's footwear

• Obstacles are in the way

4.   The requirements of the activity

The assessor may decide that manual handling presents a risk if it entails one or more of the following:

• Over-frequent or over-prolonged physical effort involving, in particular, the spine

• Insufficient bodily rest or recovery periods

• Excessive lifting, lowering or carrying distances, or

• A rate of work imposed by a process which the employee cannot alter.

Suppose the assessor considers that there is a risk but one that can be eliminated or reduced. In that case, it will be the company's policy to eliminate or reduce the risk, whether it be by changing the system of work or by providing adequate manual handling training. 

A certified competent person will train all employees who receive manual handling training. Records will be kept for thirty years of all those who receive training. Records will also be kept of both written and practical assessments made after manual handling training has been given at the workplace.

Manual handling training must cover the following lifts:

• To and from the floor

• To and from a bench

• To and from a height

Manual handling training must also cover the correct ways of:

• Pulling

• Pushing

Supervisors and Managers must ensure that:

• Manual handling training is being carried out and implemented in the workplace

• Should an employee change their job or work role, then they are, if necessary, retrained in manual handling

All employees should note that if they are required to handle a load that is too heavy or awkward, then they should call for assistance.

Procedure for Manual Handling

The following eight principles must be adhered to when a person is manually handling a load. The person in question must:

1. Assess the area and the load to be handled

2. Bend their knees 

3. Ensure that they are on a broad, stable base

4. Ensure that their back is straight, though not necessarily erect

5. Ensure that when gripping the load, they use the palm of the hand and also the tips and base of the fingers

6. Ensure that their arms are kept as close as possible to their trunk

7. Keep the weight as close to their centre of gravity as possible

8. Point or move their feet in the direction they are going