Every employer must follow health and safety laws put in place to protect employees in the workplace. This includes circumstances where manual handling is involved. Regardless of whether you work in an industrial warehouse or a small office, manual handling rules apply.
Most injuries arising out of manual handling accidents involve the back. Injuring your back can be extremely painful and lead to many complications, and can lead to even the smallest tasks being unbearable. It’s therefore very important that health and safety rules are followed to prevent such injuries.
The law
The Manual Handling Operations Regulation provide the rules employers need to follow to ensure their employees are not injured when moving heavy items. The main points include risk assessments followed by training and supervision if required or possible, as well as the use of equipment where needed as well.
Risk assessments employers need to carry out can include things like:
| Checking if the route to be taken is safe. Obstacles should be removed and caution taken if the route is not on flat ground. Employers may need to assess the risks of sending an employee with a heavy box to be taken down stairs, as one example. We have helped people claim against employers from injuries caused after falling when asked to carry a heavy overloaded box down a set of stairs. |
| If the item is particularly bulky or awkward, employers needs to consider whether more staff should assist in the manual handling task. If the item is too large, the carrier may be more susceptible to losing their balance and falling, or falling because they can’t see where they are going with the item blocking their view. Heavy items should be carried using equipment where available (a trolley or an electronic lift, perhaps). Two people sharing the load can be much less straining than one person carrying a heavy item on their own. |
| The size and weight of the item needs to be carefully considered alongside these other points. It’s important to plan the handling prior to the lifting so that it can be executed safely and efficiently. |
An important factor is that employees should never expect you to lift more than they’re comfortable with!
Claiming for manual handling compensation
If you’ve sustained a manual handling injury at your workplace that wasn’t your fault, get in touch with us as we may be able to assist you.
We work on a no win, no fee basis, and as specialist workplace claim lawyers, if we are confident that you have a case, we will fight for your rights to justice.
Never worry about claiming for workplace compensation; it’s not a personal thing. Your claim will likely be against your employer’s insurer, and your employer can’t treat you any differently if you claim against their insurance policy. At the end of the day, the insurance is there to be used!
