Manual Handling Training
One of the most common injuries in the workplace and reasons for employees needing to take time off to recover are those attributed to the manual handling of loads. The manipulation of loads, which includes all methods of manipulation such as lifting, pulling, pushing, carrying etc puts strain on the body and can result in a variety of injuries, the most common being muscle strains, torn tendons and ligaments, slipped discs and hernias. As well as the actual manipulation, the object itself can also cause injury. For example, if it has sharp edges it can lead to cuts, or if it is rough it can damage the skin over time. If a person drops a heavy load they can injure themselves, the most likely being their feet and toes, or perhaps crushing a finger when setting a heavy load down.
By undertaking manual handling training, workers will have a much greater understanding of the risks that are present when it comes to moving and manipulating loads in the workplace. Virtually every place of work will have employees who move heavy or awkwardly-sized objects around, and so manual handling training should make up a key component of the overall health and safety training provision for these workers.
Along with workers, the management of the organisation need to understand about manual handling risks and how these hazards can impact upon those who the management are responsible for. Where workers will need to move and handle loads, a manual handling risk assessment should be performed to assess the risks and introduce appropriate controls or changes, or provide mechanical aids to reduce the burden and strain upon a person's body. This means that a manager will need to know how to successfully perform this risk assessment for manual handling issues, which they will gain through attending a training course on the subject.
Manual handling is one of those issues which everyone thinks they already know, so it is important that workers are engaged by the training in order to keep their attention so that they take in the required information. Also, manual handling training should be periodically refreshed and activities monitored to make sure that workers have not slipped into old habits. Whilst it is up to the workers themselves to actually follow the correct techniques that they have been taught, it is in the management's best interests to ensure that correct procedures are being followed, as having a worker off sick with a manual handling injury will be detrimental to the business in terms of lost production and sick pay.
Manual Handling Training Provider
Through our sister company the BCF Group based in Nottingham UK, we can provide manual handling training for your employees. Rather than just provide general training on the theory, our manual handling courses can be tailored to incorporate the specific risks and objects that your employees move, making it much more relevant, interesting and useful for when they get back into the workplace. For more information, please visit www.thebcfgroup.co.uk or call 0844 800 3295 to discuss your requirements.
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