Manual handling regulations in the UK are fairly tight. I see this as a good thing because it helps to stop injuries which can so easily be sustained if manual handling isn’t done in the right away.
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations primarily say that the need for manual handling should be avoided where necessary. Where it can’t, it needs to be done in the safest way possible. Manual handling alone can always pose a risk.
What can go wrong?
Lots! But some common examples of manual handling alone that can cause injuries and lead to claims can be:
- Lifting something too heavy for one person
- Lifting something too large in size for one person
- Excessive lifting due to having to do it alone
- Lack of supervision where other factors may become a risk
- Lack of guidance or help in case of emergency
The examples for an object being too heavy or large are rather obvious ones. If it’s a two man job and you’re expected to do it alone, you may have a claim for personal injury compensation if you end up injured. Even if you’re lifting in the right way, lifting loads that are too heavy or awkward isn’t safe.
Excessive lifting is another obvious one too – if you’re lifting nonstop for hours on end without any assistance to lighten the workload, you’re likely going to end up with some form of repetitive strain injury. Again, you can be lifting in the right way but the excessive loads can cause severe injuries. You could have a claim in this scenario as well.
When it comes to lack of supervision and guidance, the rules do state that you should be supervised where necessary. All tasks should be risk assessed too, so if there could be any factors that could pose a danger and there is no guidance or supervision, you could end up injured. In addition, what happens if something went wrong and you needed help? With no one around, you could be in a sticky situation…
What can you do?
You have the right to make a claim for personal injury compensation if manual handling alone has left you injured. It’s always wise to seek advice from us as we can normally tell you in minutes if we think you have a good case or not. We work on a no win, no fee so you needn’t worry about huge expenses and charges if things go wrong.
Muscular injuries associated with manual handling incidents can be severe – you can claim for the injury alone as well as any losses and expenses caused as a result of what has happened. These can include lost earnings from time off work, physiotherapy expenses, and pain medication costs.
For free help and advice, call our dedicated claims helpline on 0800 634 75 75.