Safe Manual Handling

OBJECTIVES
 Identify manual handling activities in your facility .

 Identify hazards and injuries associated with manual

handling activities

 Identify how to assess and control risks associated with

manual handling activities.

 Identify ways to prevent back injuries in the work place.

 Identify the proper and safe lifting techniques

Manual handling refers to any activity requiring a person to use

any part of their muscular or skeletal system in their interactions with
their work environment.

Manual handling includes the following activities:

Lifting Carrying

KOSMOS ENERGY MANUAL HANDLING Page 1

 Holding Pulling

KOSMOS ENERGY MANUAL HANDLING Page 2

 Manual Handling also describes tasks involving:

What are the potential hazards for workers?

• Workers frequently cite the weight and bulkiness of objects that

they lift as major contributing factors to their injuries.

• In 1999, more than 420,000 workplace accidents resulted in

back injuries.

• Bending followed by twisting and turning were the more

commonly cited movements that caused back injuries.

Manual Handling can lead to injury through the

development of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD).

Definition

 An MSD is an injury affecting the bones or soft tissue

structure (other than organs) of the body that is caused by
manual handling at work.

KOSMOS ENERGY MANUAL HANDLING Page 3

Examples of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) include:

 Sprains of ligaments
 Strains of muscles or tendons
 Injuries to the spine, joints, bones or nerves
 Abdominal hernias

MSD Symptoms

 Back or neck pain

 Pain in wrists shoulder or arms

 Painful joints

 Pain, tingling or numbness in hands or feet

 Weakness or clumsiness

 Heaviness

 Burning sensations

• Stiffness

• Swelling

If you start to experience any of these symptoms don’t

ignore them!

KOSMOS ENERGY MANUAL HANDLING Page 4

What precautions should workers take when moving
materials manually?

• When moving materials manually, workers should attach

handles or holders to loads.

• In addition, workers should always wear appropriate personal

protective equipment and use proper lifting techniques.

Three Steps to Reduce Manual Handling Injuries

1st - Identifying manual handling hazards in your facility.

2nd - Assessing the risk of those identified causing injury.

3rd - Eliminating the risk, or if not practicable reduce the

Risk to the lowest practicable level.

Identify all the plant, materials, equipment, premises,

and systems of work, the work environment and
individual tasks which have the potential to contribute
to a musculoskeletal disorder.

KOSMOS ENERGY MANUAL HANDLING Page 5

Manual handling hazards can be identified in different
ways:

 Walk through the workplace and look for potential

hazards.

 Talk over risk factors with co-workers

 Reviewing previous accidents and near misses

Risk Factors to be considered:

• Body posture

• Force

• Repetition of movements

• Speed of movements

• Vibration

• Duration
• Workplace or workstation layout

• Other work conditions

• Characteristics of the item

KOSMOS ENERGY MANUAL HANDLING Page 6

Other Risk Factors to be considered:

• Location of objects
• Distances moved
• Work organisation
• Systems of work

Assessing the Risks

• Type of work - some tasks require fixed postures for long

periods of time.

• Layout of the work space - a poorly designed workspace may

force people to maintain awkward postures, such as bending or
twisting repetitively

• Handling time - the more often an object has to be handled,

the greater the chance of injury

• Weight of the object - heavy objects that have to be lifted

awkwardly, such as from ground level is more likely to cause
injury than objects lifted from waist level.

• Equipment - more effort may be required to manipulate badly

designed or poorly maintained equipment.

• The degree of effort - simply restraining an object such as a

drill string, can cause sprains and other injuries.

KOSMOS ENERGY MANUAL HANDLING Page 7

 • Change the task - does this task need to be carried out?

• Change the object - repack a heavy load into smaller, more

manageable parcels

• Use Mechanical Aids - Like wheelbarrows, trolleys, conveyor

belts, cranes or forklifts.

• Change the workspace - using ergonomic furniture & make

sure work benches are at optimum heights to limit bending or
stretching.

• Change the nature of the work -offer frequent breaks or multi-

task

• Seek proper training - inexperienced workers are more likely

to be injured

Evaluation & Record Keeping

Evaluation - Check the effectiveness of control measures in place

and ensure no new hazards have been introduced

Record Keeping - Records should be kept of hazard identification,

risk assessment and control measures including training records

What Is Ergonomics?

Ergonomics is defined as the study of work and is based on the

principle that the job should be adapted to fit the person rather than
forcing the person to fit the job.

KOSMOS ENERGY MANUAL HANDLING Page 8

Ergonomics focuses on the work environment, such as
its design and function, as well as:

• Design and function of work stations,

• Controls,
• Displays,
• Safety devices,
• Tools, and
• Lighting to fit the employees’ physical requirements and to
ensure their health and well being

To prevent injury from oversize loads, workers should

seek help in the following:

• When a load is so bulky that employees cannot

properly grasp or lift it,

• When employees cannot see around or over a load, or

• Employees should use blocking materials to manage
loads safely.

• Workers should also be cautious when placing blocks

under a raised load to ensure that the load is not
released before removing their hands from under the
load

KOSMOS ENERGY MANUAL HANDLING Page 9

Blocking Materials and Timbers

• Should be large and strong enough to support the load safely.

• In addition to materials with cracks, workers should not use

materials with rounded corners, splintered pieces, or dry rot for
blocking.

Protecting Your Back

Hip Hinge - Hinging the trunk from your hips is crucial for avoiding
repetitive strain to the lower back or neck.

In contrast, if bending at the waist, the spine flexes forward putting

The lower back and neck in potentially harmful positions.

Instructor will demonstrate

Protecting Your Back

• While Driving- a key to back and neck saving posture when

driving is to allow the car seat’s curve to support your lumbar
spine’s natural forward curve.

• A simple trick to encourage this is to increase the lumbar

support in the car seat or to sit on small wedge cushion which is
higher in the back than the front

KOSMOS ENERGY MANUAL HANDLING Page 10

 • Rising from a Chair -the key to avoiding strain to your spine
when rising from a chair or sitting down is to squat up or down
using your hips or knees.

• Stooping forward from the waist should be avoided.

• A trick to make this simpler is to scoot towards the edge of your

chair so that you are perching and move your feet back under
your thighs before sitting up

Safe Lifting Techniques

• Diagonal Lift
• Tripod or Shoulder Lift
• Deep Squat Lift
• Partial Squat Lift
• Straight Leg Lift
• Power Lift

Diagonal Lift

STEP 1- stand close to the load with your feet spread apart about
shoulder width, with one foot slightly in front of the other for balance.

STEP 2 - squat down bending at the knees (not your waist).

Tuck your chin while keeping your back as vertical as possible.

KOSMOS ENERGY MANUAL HANDLING Page 11

STEP 3 - Get a firm grasp of the object before beginning the lift

STEP 4 - begin slowly lifting with your LEGS by straightening them.

Never twist your body during this step.

STEP 5 - once the lift is complete, keep the object as close to the
body as possible.

KOSMOS ENERGY MANUAL HANDLING Page 12

Safe Lifting Techniques

Tripod or Shoulder Lift - This is a good lift for people

with little arm strength but is not suitable for anyone suffering from
knee problems.

Place one foot at front edge of the object and kneel down on other
knee.

Grasp the object firmly, maintaining a straight back, lift or roll the
object onto your thigh.

Deep Squat Lift - the deep squat lift is used for lifting small, light
objects but unsuitable for people with knee problems.

• Stand in front of the object with feet shoulder width apart.

• Maintain spinal curve, squat fully and grasp object close to

your body, use your legs to raise yourself up.

Partial Squat Lift - This is useful for heavy and bulky objects.

Stand with feet as above and one foot in front of the other, place one
hand on thigh or a fixed surface.

Bend the hips and knees to a partial squat, pull the object close and
push with supporting hand to stand up.

KOSMOS ENERGY MANUAL HANDLING Page 13

Straight Leg Lift - This lift is only used for situations where the
hips & knees cannot be bent and the other lifts cannot be used and
special care should be taken.

Stand as close to the object as possible with knees slightly bent and
resting against the object over which you are lifting.

Bend at the hips to firmly grasp the object and lift by extending the
hips maintaining the curve of the spine.

Power Lift - This is the lift of choice for bulky or heavy loads.
Stand almost over the object with knees in a semi-squat position,
have a wide firm base with one foot just ahead.

• Grasp the object firmly and begin lift by moving the head first,
followed by straightening out the legs.

• When the hips begin to straighten, pull the object towards your
waist.

SUMMARY

 Plan your lift

 Warm up cold muscles thoroughly before engaging

in any manual work

 Lift and carry heavy loads correctly, by keeping the load close
to the body and lifting with the thigh muscles

KOSMOS ENERGY MANUAL HANDLING Page 14

  Never attempt to carry or lift loads in excess of the
recommended maximum limit for one person

 Maintain correct posture and the natural curves of the spine

 Take frequent breaks

 Organise the work area to reduce the amount of bending,

twisting and stretching required

 Get help to lift or carry a heavy load whenever possible, using

another worker or appropriate mechanical aids

 Cool down after heavy work with gentle, sustained stretches


 Exercise regularly to strengthen muscles & ligaments

 Lose any excess body fat

Prevention is better than cure!

 You can do just a few of the exercises anytime during the day.

 Try some of them before you get stiff and sore.

 Manual handling injuries.

 Musculoskeletal Disorder

 Spine familiarization

KOSMOS ENERGY MANUAL HANDLING Page 15

  PPE to be used in manual lifting.

 Ergonomics

 Factors on assessing risks of manual handling:

• type of work,
 layout of the place,
 handling time,
 weight of the object,
 Equipment & degree of effort.

 Common control of risks:

 Change of task, object, workplace & nature of work,

 Use of mechanical aids and proper training.

• Practicing good lifting technique does not enable you to lift

more than you could before.

• It means that, whatever you’re individual capabilities, your

chances of injury are reduced.

• Good technique is just one of a number of control

measures, within the hierarchy of control, that the employer has
to put in place to reduce manual handling risks; it is not a
panacea.

• Protecting your back is about a cultural change, not about

accepting practices because that’s the way they’ve always
been done.

Thank You and Protect Your Back

KOSMOS ENERGY MANUAL HANDLING Page 16

KOSMOS ENERGY MANUAL HANDLING Page 17