Introduction
Lifting and moving loads manually is one of the most common causes of injury at work.
56,000 Work Related MSD cases in construction per year
There is no truly ‘safe’ weight limit for manual handling operations so try to find alternatives.
When you have to manually handle loads consider:
Task - how often, how much twisting or bending is needed?
Individual capability, male or female, old or young, experienced or inexperienced?
Load - how heavy? Good grip? Bulky? Heavier at one end?
Environment - hot, cold, uneven floor, windy, stairs?
Remember: TILE
Some solutions
General Handling
Building Blocks
Panel products e.g.
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Who has to provide the facilities?
Contractors (including the self-employed)
In all cases you should ensure that there are adequate welfare facilities for workers under your control
What facilities have to be provided?
Clean and working toilets
Washbasins with hot and cold (or warm) running water
Soap and towels
Sinks large enough to wash face, hands and forearms
Storage - somewhere to change, dry and store clothing
Drinking water and cups provided
A rest area to sit, make hot drinks and eat food
Keep your welfare facilities warm and well ventilated, with lighting if necessary
Summary
Plan welfare in advance of work starting
Make sure that workers have:
Drinking water
Toilets
Washing facilities
Somewhere to eat
Somewhere to change their clothes
Credit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/resources/toolboxtalks.htm.
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What is this about?
There are over 2000 ‘Falls from vehicle’ accidents reported to HSE each year
These include on average 5 fatalities each year
Major injuries are usually broken arms or legs, resulting in weeks off work
Construction specific info.
In construction 70% of these accidents occur to non-drivers
90% are low falls, below head height
They occur during off loading of materials or when getting on or off the vehicle
In construction the falls mostly occur from the load area of flatbeds, HGV’s & vans
What are we looking at??
Alternatives to working on vehicles
Safe access to and from vehicle beds
Safer working practices
What the company/ies can do
What the operative/worker can do
Work at height hierarchy
AVOID work at height on the load area.
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Who is it for? All construction operatives who don’t have a specialised trade and work on site as general labourers.
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Consider this statistic: 80 out of every 100 incidents are the fault of the person involved in the incident.
Unsafe acts cause four times as many incidents & injuries as unsafe conditions.
Incidents occur for many reasons.
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There is always the potential for emergencies to occur at your facility.
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Workplace violence ranges from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and even death.
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Good construction site safety not only protects your company's assets, it also protects you, your tools, and your job.
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In construction, 25% of injuries are back injuries.
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The purpose of this toolbox talk is to provide some basic information and to increase the level of awareness to focus on this as a potential safety issue on the job.
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