manual material Handling

In workplace, there are plenty of

movement of material.

Materials are moved either by

manual means (men) or machines.

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Manual handling
Manual handling is any task
which involves people
moving, handling or shifting
materials and objects.
This includes:

• lifting;

• pushing;

• pulling;

• carrying;

• sliding; and

• stacking.
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 Definitions
Manual Handling
Any transporting or supporting of a load
(including the lifting, lowering, pushing,
pulling, carrying or moving thereof) by hand
or bodily force.
Load
An item to be manually lifted (can also be
lose items in containers).

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 Hazard
s
• Wrong manual handling technique
• Wrong assessment of the load and its features
• Neglecting individual (physical) limitations
• Loss of balance when the load is shifted
• Protruding objects and sharp edges
• Dropped objects
• Adverse working conditions
• Poor housekeeping in the work area

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 Injuries and Losses
• Lower back aches (sprain / strain)
• Bone injuries (fractures / dislocations).
• Spinal injuries.
• Crushed toes and fingers.
• Damage to equipment.
• Damage to materials.
• Downtime.
• Other related injuries and losses.

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 Types of Injuries

Damage to the
spine, back
muscles and
ligaments

Amputations
Abdominal
hernia

Muscle strains
Crushed limbs and joint wear

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 Types of Injuries-Contd

1. Back Injuries
2. Hand Injuries
3. Leg injuries
4. Body Injuries

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 Types of Injuries-Contd

• Back Injuries are the 2nd-most

common workplace problem
• Most back injuries can be
prevented

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 RISK FACTOR of Manual Handling

1. Movement & Posture

2. Work Environment
3. Individual Factors

 
Causes of manual handling injuries
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 1. Movement & Posture

• Repetitive movement ‐ continually repeating certain

movements or maintaining a body position for long periods.
• Sudden and jerky movement
• Forceful and prolonged awkward posture.
• Large force for pushing, pulling, and restraining
• Gripping and squeezing
• Overexertion ‐ handling a load beyond the body’s
capability. Heavy lifting, lifting load over 20 kg increase
risk of back injury.

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 2. Work Environment

• Poor workplace layout - encourages unsafe

work postures and unnecessary manual handling
• Poor lighting
• Poor headroom
• Variation in floor levels
• Excessive heat
• Poor Housekeeping ‐ slips, trips and falls.

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 3. Individuals Factors

These groups of people are more susceptible to

manual handling injuries:
• Elder workers
• Disabled workers
• Female workers
• Inexperienced / Untrained workers
• Workers with history of injury

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 SAFE MANUAL HANDLING PROCEDURES

• Eliminate/ reduce manual handling with

mechanical handling aids ( conveyors, forklift)
• Reducing weight of load by repacking or
splitting.
• Modify workplace layout, provide working
table at waist level
• Good lighting and floor condition
• Provide containers with easy to grip
handholds
• Job rotation & short rest break
• Team lifting
• Training on correct lifting procedures 13
 Prepare, Plan and Compensate
When you are preparing to lift, let your body know what’s coming.
Prepare:
• perform some simple stretching exercises;
• size up the load to see if it is too heavy, too
large or too awkward;
• decide where you will be setting down the
load;
• grip the load firmly before lifting it.
Plan:
• where you are taking the
load;
• to keep the curves;
• not to bend or twist
during the lift; and
• to lift with your legs and
not your back and arms.
Compensate:
• make allowances when you begin to feel
fatigued;
CORRECT LIFTING PROCEDURE
• Size up the load to make sure it is not too
heavy or too large
• Adopt a stable footing. Keep feet apart
• Bend your knees and reach down to the
load
• Keep your back straight as you lower
yourself
• Tuck your chin in
• Grip the load with both hands
• Tuck elbows and arm in
• Avoid Twisting at The Back
• Move the Feet , Keep Load Close to Body
• Keep body weight directly over feet
• Slowly push up with your legs and
keep your back straight.

Never bend at
times easier onthe waist,
your always bend
back. 15
at the knees - it makes the job ten
 Staggered Stance
When lifting you need to create a wider base of
support, you can achieve this by:

• placing your feet further

apart;
• staggering your stance;
and
• adopting the Power
Stance.

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 Lifting by Hand
Use Your Head and Save Your Back!

•Bend
•Let your
your •STAND
knees -
legs do close to
not
the the
your
lifting load
back!

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 Pushing and Pulling loads
When pushing a load you should:
• place your feet apart with one well
behind the other;
• lean forward;
• gradually apply your body weight;
and
• thrust forward with your rear foot.
• when pulling a load you should;
• place your feet apart with one well
behind the other;
• lean back into the line of the pull;
• gradually apply your body weight;
and
• thrust backward with your front
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foot.
 Carrying loads

When carrying a load you should:

• Hold the load close
Correct
• Keep the load at no more than waist height
so you can see over it.
• Take short steps
• Keep the load balanced.
• Avoid twisting the body
• Watch out for pinch points - doorwaIyncsor,reect tc.
• Face the way you will be moving.
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 Carrying loads

If a load is too heavy or too large for you to lift and

carry on your own:

go and get assistance from your fellow

workers use a mechanical aid

Get Help Use

with the
heavy or right
awkward tools!
loads!
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 Lever effect -- can
(200kg) magnify weight by factor
of up to 10
(40kg)

100kg
10kg
Maximum Safe Lifting
Weight = 51 lbs.
(23kg)
National Safety Council
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 What is "Team handling"?
Team handling occurs when more than one person is involved during the lift.
• Use team lifting and carrying where other solutions are
inappropriate.
• Remember that the combined strength of the team is less
than the sum of individual strength.
• Select team members of similar height and strength.
• Assign a leader to the team.
• Determine a set of commands to be used such as "lift",
"walk", "stop", "down". Make sure that everyone knows what
to do when they hear the command.
• Follow the commands given by the team leader.
• Practice team lifting and carrying together before attempting
the task.

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 Carrying loads
• Proper co-ordination
• Work as a TEAM
• Get a assistant for guiding
and giving direction
• If you are unsure or in doubt,
get assistance from your fellow
workers or ask your
supervisor

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 What should be done when
lowering the bag?
Avoid unloading a bag from the shoulder directly to floor level. Use an
intermediate platform or get help from a coworker.
• Stand close to the platform
• Place one foot in front of the platform
• Bend hips and knees
• Keep the back straight
• Ease the bag off the shoulder and put it upright on the platform
• Pull the bag slightly over the edge of the platform
• Stand close to the platform with the bag touching the chest
• Clasp the bag against the body with one hand, the other hand
holding bottom of the bag
• Step back
• Bend hips and knees, keeping back straight
• Ease the bag on the floor

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 What should be done when lifting and
carrying long objects as team?

• Use a shoulder pad to reduce

compression.
• Carry load on the same shoulder.
• Walk in step.

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 Does a good grip matter?

Good handholds make lifting and carrying easier and safety.

• Use the "power grip" on loads with handles.
• Use the "hook grip" on loads with cut-out handholds.
• Curl your fingers around the edge.
• Do not hold the load with finger tips.
• Use containers with handles located more than halfway up the
side of the container
• Use the "ledge grip" to handle regularly shaped objects
without handles.
• Hold the object with hands placed diagonally.
• Wear gloves where practical.

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 What else should I know
about grip aids?

Use gripping aids to lift or carry awkward loads that do not have
handles.

• Use lifting straps for cylindrical objects

• Use a 'Gator grip' to handle awkward objects
with sharp edges.

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 For those Awkward
Moments...
If you must lift or lower from a high place:
• Stand on a platform instead of a ladder
• Lift the load in smaller pieces if possible
• Push the load to see how heavy and stable it is.
• Slide the load as close to yourself as possible
before lifting up or down.
• Get help when needed to avoid an injury.

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From hard-to-get-at
places...
• Get as close to the load as possible
• Keep back straight, stomach muscles tight
• Push buttocks out behind you.
• Bend your knees
• Use leg, stomach, and buttock muscles to
lift - not your back.

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 Keep it Close, Keep the Curves
By keeping the load close to your body
you will:
• keep the three natural curves
of your spine;
• reduce the stress loads on
your spine; and
• minimise the risks of a back
injury.

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Arrange your work area
Carry out work on waist height benches
and trestles to prevent crouching

Store frequently used materials and

equipment near your work area
to minimise carrying, bending and
lifting;

Keep frequently used tools

within arms reach to minimise stretching
and to prevent overreaching

Prevent slips, trips and falls by

keeping:
• floor surfaces free of water,
oil, grease and tools; and
• aisles and walkways clear
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 Mechanical Handling

There are many different types of material

handling machines. These include hand
trucks, manual hand-operated lift-pallet
truck, cranes, forklifts, conveyors, pellet
trucks, etc.

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 Mechanical aids
Some of the mechanical aids you can use
to make manual handling easier include:

• a hand trolley or wheel barrow to move several

cement bags instead of individually carrying them;
• a winch or overhead crane to move equipment from
one height to another instead of carrying it up stairs
or ramps;
• a power tool, such as an electric screw driver, instead
of using a normal screwdriver;
• a powered hand truck to move several 205 litre drums
on a pallet rather than rolling them along the ground;
and
• a forklift to move material down from up into a
storage rack.

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Mechanical Aid

* Get the correct

accessories such as
jacks, hand trucks,
dollies.
* Check before use
* If you are unsure or in
doubt, ask your
supervisor or fellow
workers.
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 Mechanical Aid

Hint:
Pushing is
much
EASIER
Than
Pulling

* Use the right type & size

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Mechanical Aid

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 MANUAL HAND OPERATED
LIFT‐PALLET TRUCK

There are several types of commonly used hand

pallet truck, includes:

Low lift truck

Hydraulic-lift pallet truck
Mechanical- lift pallet truck

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 Hand Pallet Truck Hazards

• Operator can be caught between the

truck and another objects
• Collision with other objects
• Operator’s foot struck by the
steering wheel

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Hand Pallet Truck Operation Safety Practices

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 Hand trucks

• Keep heavier objects at bottom.

• Load the height that allow clear visions
• Keep clear of the wheels when loading.
• Place the load forward , ensure that it will not slip or fall.
• Let the truck carry the load. Operator only push
and balance.
• Never walk backwards, when going down an incline
keep the truck ahead
• Place the load well forward so that the weight is carried
by the axle not the handles.

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 Safety Practices

• Never load truck beyond it’s safety load.

• Always operate the truck from right or left of the
handle.
• Face the direction of travel.
• When entering the lift – back truck- avoid caught
between the handles & lift wall
• Always gives pedestrians the right of the way.
• Stop at blind corners and passage
intersection.

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 Safety Practices

• Operate at normal walking pace.

• Never ride on the truck unless it is especially
designed for the driver to ride
• Never allow others to ride on the truck
• Take extra precaution when operating over a
decline or incline path way.

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 Personal Protective Equipment
Face and eye
protection when
handling toxic or
corrosive materials.

Waterproof clothing and

gloves when handling
corrosive or toxic
liquids

Leather gloves to Safety boots with

protect against heat, steel toe caps to
and sharp edges protect against
crush injuries

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 Summary

* Estimate the weight of load.

* Are you capable of lifting safely ?
* Do you know the proper procedure ?
* Do you need assistance and accessories ?

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