3. Research
Manual handling basically refers to most physical movements carried out within a workplace. The most popular of these include lifting, pushing, pulling and carrying of objects with the hands. These circumstances lead to one of the most common occupational health and safety issues, and unfortunately are responsible for a great number of injuries and long-term health problems amongst Australians.
A primary source of information for manual handling was gained from a survey referring to the code of practice of manual handling and looks at:
- Movements, posture and layout during manual handling
- Task and object
- Work environment, and
- Individual factors
3.1 Research; Survey
Answer yes or no…
- Is there frequent or prolonged bending down where the hands pass below mid-thigh height?
- Is there frequent or prolonged reaching above the shoulder?
- Is there frequent or prolonged bending due to extended reach forward?
- Is there frequent or prolonged twisting of the back?
- Are awkward postures assumed frequently or over prolonged periods, that is, postures that are not forward facing and upright?
- Is manual handling performed frequently or for long time periods by the employee(s)?
- Are loads moved or carried over long distances?
- Is the weight of the object
- More than 4.5 kg and handled from a seated position?
- More than 16 kg and handled in a working posture other than seated?
- More than 55 kg?
- For pushing, pulling or other application of forces: are large push/pulling forces involved?
- Is the load difficult or awkward to handle, for example, due to its size, shape, temperature, instability or unpredictability?
- Is it difficult or unsafe to get adequate grip of the load?
- Is the task performed in a confined space?
- Is the lighting inadequate for safe manual handling?
- Is the climate particularly cold or hot?
- Are the floor working surfaces cluttered, uneven, slippery or otherwise unsafe?
- Is the employee new to the work or returning from an extended period away from work?
- Are there age-related factors, disabilities or other special factors that may affect task performance?
- Does the employee’s clothing or personal protective equipment interfere with manual handling performance?
The findings from the survey prove that most organisations are not strict with the policies and procedures for manual handling. The main problems arise from the movements, posture and layout. Many procedures used at workplaces require frequent bending down below mid-thigh height, reaching above the shoulders and twisting of the back. These are severe movements of manual handling, causing pains of the back and even damage in the long term. The task and object is another issue concerned as few of the objects are considered a very heavy weight and some loads are difficult to handle. This is when pressure is put on the back and may cause spinal injuries. The upside to the survey is that most workplaces maintain a good work environment and individual factors.
Secondary sources from books, educational videos and websites backup most of the findings from the survey. Indicating that the act is not adequately referred to in most organisations and employees should be trained efficiently to follow the policies and procedures of safe manual handling.
4. Background Information
PFM Removals is a reasonably large organisation situated in the removals industry. They provide services to private companies such as Schweppes, Cannon, Coca-Cola, etc. and to public companies such as schools, surgeries, offices, etc. There are a several managers within the organisation, and approximately thirty employees, who’s duties are to move, pack, deliver and un pack heavy goods to other companies, homes, etc.
4.1 Background information; The Situation
The Occupational Health and Safety issue being researched within the organisation of PFM Removals is Manual Handling. Many employees have been experiencing bad posture and strains in the muscles of the back, and the spine. The organisation has policies, procedures and practices for manual handling but is very rarely referred to; this becomes a major concern as it may cause damage in the long term to the employees at PFM Removals.
5.1 Performance Criteria; Basic Requirements of Occupational Health and Safety Legislation
It is estimated that one third of all compensatable injuries within Australia are due to Manual Handling, therefore the team at PFM Removals should look at the situation more seriously. The analysis of workplace injury records at PFM Removals shows that the majority of work related injuries are due to manual handling.
Code of Practice
According to the Occupational Health and Safety legislation, a code of practice applies for manual handling. It applies to every manual handling act at a workplace and is projected to provide a convenient guidance to employers and employees with respect to the identification, assessment and control of risks to health and safety arising from manual handling activities at workplaces.
Basic Requirements
By looking at the code of practice and applying it to PFM Removals, will provide the main issues which need to be concerned due to manual handling. This may require the company to purchase new and safe material, or even re-design the work place.
5.2 Performance Criteria; The Organisations Occupational Health and Safety Policies, Procedures and Programs
The current company policies, procedures and programs at PFM Removals are applied during the training of each employee, and refer to all hazards which relate to health and safety at work. The systems used while training the employees include being spoken to by a manager, a video, and few documents which are given to the employees to examine in their own time.
The way the company policies, procedures and programs are communicated to the work team is not very efficient as employees do not have to take it seriously. Instead, employees should be tested on the policies, procedures and programs, every now and then so that it can be taken seriously.
5.3 Performance Criteria; Identifying Hazards, Risk Assessment and Control
Identifying Hazards
The first stage to safe manual handling, risk identification, is the method of identifying the tasks which are likely to be a risk to health and safety so they can become efficiently examined and assessed. There are three main steps to risk identification, the first step involves an analysis of the workplaces injury records, the second concerns consultation with the employees, and the last step is direct observation or inspection of the task or work area. This task particularly helps in identifying risks because of work inspections, audits and walkthrough surveys.
Risk Assessment
Risk assessment is the second stage to safe manual handling. There are many factors which need to be taken into account to ensure that all manual handling in workplaces are subject to risk assessment. All the factors are considered to be relevant to the employer, the employees or their representatives on health and safety issues. Risk assessment is mostly critical when an injury has occurred due to a specific work process or practice, and when a work process or practice is introduced.
Risk Control
After the risk factors have been assessed, they may then be reduced by the last stage to safe manual handling. The particular order in which the employer is to implement risk controls begins with redesigning the manual handling task to eliminate of control the risk factors, to ensure that employees involved in manual handling receive appropriate training, to provide mechanical aids or personal protective equipment, and to ensure that employees receive appropriate training in methods of manual handling.
5.4 Performance Criteria; Organisation Consultive procedures
Occupational Health and Safety Procedures at PFM Removals
1. Statutory requirements are fulfilled. In particular, the provisions of the relevant occupational health and safety legislation and regulations are satisfied. Also, all relevant codes of practice are adopted and accepted as the minimum PFM standard.
2. Adequate instruction is given to employees in safe working procedures and that employees are informed of any hazard to their well-being and health which may be known to be associated with the work they are required to perform;
4. Situations or working practices which are unsafe or harmful are reported immediately to the immediate supervisor of the employee so that corrective action can be taken;
5. Adequate occupational health and first aid services are provided;
6. Machines and equipment are maintained in a safe condition and that all necessary personnel and personal protective devices are provided in workplaces;
7. Workplaces are maintained clean (as far as the processes allow) and that they are safe to enter, to work in, and to leave;
8. Proper control is maintained in the workplace over harmful substances, air pollution, noise and radiation;
9. Proper control is maintained over the storage, use and disposal of harmful substances;
10. Investigation is carried out of accidents occurring at work and appropriate reports are made for the purpose of minimising any recurrence;
11. Procedures are established to minimise the risk of, and harmful effects of, fire and explosion, radiation, chemical release and where appropriate that these procedures are regularly tested; and
12. Procedures are established for the evacuation of buildings in the event of fire, explosion or other emergency situation, and that these procedures are regularly tested.
How Manual Handling is Monitored, and the inefficiencies procedures
At PFM Removals, according to the occupational health and safety procedures, the issues are monitored every now and then by investigations carried out of accidents occurring at work. There are no particular procedures based on manual handling which could be more important than some of the procedures available, but all procedures are efficient.
5.5 Performance Criteria; Consultation
The consultation process deals with the issues of manual handling by adequate instructions which are given to employees in safe working procedures. When employees report the difficulties they are experiencing within manual handling, then the consultation process will reflect the issue.
5.6 Performance Criteria; Encouragement and Assistance
Encouragement and assistance is provided while training at the job, to help every employer to be a confident and an efficient worker. This is done by reassuring the employees of what there tasks are and how they are to do them. New employees are supervised by an advanced worker or a manager until they have been approved to be able to work on their own.
5.7 Performance Criteria; Training Needs
The main training needs for Occupational Health and Safety at all organisations include:
- First aid, evacuation procedures, etc
- Dealing with physical hazards such as noise, vibration and radiation
- How to avoid slips, trips and falls
- When and what to report to managers
- Ways in which to carry heavy objects, or to reduce the weight of the lift
- The postures for different movements
- Learn about chemical hazards, what not to touch
- Protective wear
5.8 Performance Criteria; Strategies, Opportunities and Competencies
In relation to Occupational Health and Safety strategies and opportunities will help to obtain a successful development of work team competencies. By having strategies employees will have useful ideas, and various opportunities will help employees gain experience in many areas. Employee’s competencies will be obtained from strategies and opportunities by having the ability, power and qualifications required.
5.9 Performance Criteria; Hazards in the Work Area
The way that the company’s policies, procedures and programs are trained to each employee at PFM Removals is not very efficient. Although employees are given the information through three different ways of communication; paper, videos and lectures, it is not definite that the information has been identified or taken seriously. When watching the video and listening to the speaker, the employers do not know whether or not the trainees are actually listening, and whether or not the trainees refer to the papers are another concern.
Instead, employees should be tested on the policies, procedures and programs, every now and then so that it can be taken seriously.
5.10 Performance Criteria; Hierarchy of Control
The hierarchy of control provides guidance on the following three key stages in the process of reducing manual handling injuries
Hierarchy of Control
Identifying Hazards:
- Analysis of Workplace Injury Records
- Consultation with Employees
- Direct Observation
Risk Assessment
Risk Control
5.11 Performance Criteria; Inadequacies in Existing Risk Control Measures
According to risk control measures at PFM Removals the inadequacies begin with the designs of each the hazard. The implemented recommendation in the PFM removals company is to design a new work shop which will make certain that there are other resources to eliminate the lifting of heavy objects, the work shop is kept tidy and in an orderly manner with heavy objects are stored on an area where workers to not have to bend or stretch to reach, and the trucks are modern and made to make it easy to push the heavy loads off, with out needing to lift them off the trucks when taking heavy load into store them.
5.12 Performance Criteria; Safety Records
An ‘Incident’ is a dangerous event. In the workplace incidents may occur due to unsafe procedures and may harm other workers in that area. At PFM Removals, all incidents are recorded under the PFM injury records. This is to help provide the organisation with the majority of why and how incidents occur, so these issues can be discussed and resolved.
For example, Peter McRyan, a well known employee at PFM Removals started regularly leaving work due to back complaints. He went and saw a physio and they told him that the posture of his back was beginning to hunch. After he reported this to the management at PFM Removals they referred to the injury records and determined that this was not the first time this has happened. So research was carried and a resolution to the problem was made.
Conclusion
From having researched the many issues at PFM Removals, by referring to the codes of practice on manual handling and exploring other resources such as survey’s, I have come to the conclusion that the Occupational Health and Safety act covers all areas which may be harmful for everyone in the workplace. The reason there are so many work related accidents is because most workers do not refer to the act, or take it seriously. Therefore it is believed that the importance of the Occupational health and safety act does not seem relevant to many workers until they have experienced their own situation, and the only way to resolve this is for the policies of the act to become more strict or somehow make workers more aware of the danger they may put themselves into by not following the act. The Occupational Health and Safety act was introduced for a reason, and a great reason it is for keeping the workplace a safe and healthy environment.
Recommendations
To improve the Occupational Health and Safety situation of manual handling, modern equipment and knowledge can be introduced, such as the replacement of hazardous materials or process’s. In this circumstance, the hazardous materials are the heavy objects, and resources with wheels can carry heavy loads instead of the heavy loads being Manually Handled. Another way is to redesign the workplace. For the organisation to improve the situation they have to consider the cost and the benefits for the employees.
