When we start a new job, we should be taken through the necessary healthy and safety training by our new employer. This usually includes fire safety training, general health and safety in the work place, and manual handling training. Depending on your job role, there may be other types of training that you are also shown. Although training can be boring for those taking part, it is essential you do it to help prevent you from being involved in accidents at work.
One of the types of training that all employees should be shown is manual handling training. This is where staff are shown how to lift heavy objects in a way that won’t cause damage to any muscles. No matter what job role you have, manual handling training is important, because at some point in your job role, you may be required to lift a heavy object.
All employers should keep a file on the types of training their staff have been shown, which are legal documents, and should be signed and dated by the employee to show that they fully understood and took part in the training. In the instance of an accident, the employer will then be able to show when their employee last had manual handling training.
Manual handling accidents can also be caused by lowering, pushing, and pulling objects, and are extremely common in the work place. The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 protects employees from injuries caused by manual handling at work. The most common injury suffered by employees carrying out manual handling at work is a back injury, although injuries to other areas of the body, such as arms and feet, are also common.
If you become injured whilst lifting an object at work, you should alert either your employer or the person responsible for health and safety in the workplace. If your injuries are severe they should then carry out the necessary arrangements to get you the medical care you need. After an accident, they should also fill out an accident report form. This states what injuries you have been subject to and how they were caused.
If you have suffered a manual handling injury that wasn’t your fault then you may be able to make an injury compensation claim.
