With the introduction of the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 it is fair to say that the majority of employers have taken action and introduced manual handling training to their employees. However, it seems that there are still certain sectors of employment where statistics show more could be done by the employer to prevent injury when moving obstacles within the employment.
In social care, moving patients, equipment and supplies or waste is a significant part of a daily routine. Subsequently around 2,000 injuries are reported each year in social care work which has occurred from manual handling. Over 50% of the injuries reported involving lifting and manoeuvring patients. The statistics of how many injuries occur in social care may be alarming to some especially with the introduction of the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992.
Under the Regulation 4 Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 your employer owes you a duty to reduce the risk of injury to employees when a task involves manual handling. By reducing the risk it can involve avoiding the handling all together where reasonably practice, putting in measures in place to avoid injury to individuals and other employees and to assess the risks when manual handling cannot be avoided.
When applying the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 to social care it may be difficult to assess the risks and foresee the actions in which patients may take which will result in an employee conducting some manual handling of the patient. For example a patient may fall or trip and the employee would try to catch them resulting in the employee straining their back.
It may seem to some that there is nothing an employer can do to prevent the above scenario occurring and to some extent this is correct. However, as a result of the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 the employer has a duty to assess whether the risk of injury can be reduced. For example a common questions asked in the social care work is would the risk be reduced by providing more than one employee when attending to patients or would access to equipment to move the patient be safer for employee?
As an employee you may not be aware of whether your employer has looked into the risks involved and whether they have put into place procedures to reduce that risk. Therefore, it is best to come to the experts.
If you have been injured at work whether it be in social care or any other sector as a result of lifting or manoeuvring objects or people give us a call… We are a friendly, qualified personal injury law firm and can discuss your case to see if you have a valid personal injury case.
