What Are Manual Handling Tasks
Manual handling refers to any form of lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling and carrying heavy loads at the workplace, which can take place in warehouses, hospitals and home care settings, for both inanimate and human loads.
Manual Handling in Industry
Across industrial settings, manual handling tasks can range from assembly, processing, cleaning and sorting, as well as operating machinery and equipment. Manual handling tasks are often risky when involving repetitive actions and postures, such as the handling of bulky and awkward items In the heavy manufacturing industry.
Construction, agriculture, moving, and manufacturing are some of the industries which face high risks in manual handling. Warehouse workers who handle trolleys, and stack shelves are also prone to manual handling injuries.
Manual Handling in Aged Care
Healthcare workers such as those who help clients who are disabled, and care workers who work in a hospital or home setting, also need to be equipped with training in manual handling. Training is necessary for an injury-free workplace.
For example, aged care workers and nursing students are involved in transferring bed-bound patients from hospital beds to wheelchairs. To prevent aged care handling hazards, the appropriate use of slide sheets is part of safe manual handling practices, as with the handling of equipment such as wheelchairs and other assistive devices.
Benefits of Manual Handling Training
1. Increased Awareness and Fewer Risks
Manual handling training is key to protecting employees as it enables them to learn safe manual handling practices and increase their awareness of risks in their workplace. Employees will then understand that they are responsible for their own safety as well and be able to identify situations that should be avoided.
2. Improved Safety and Reduced Injuries
When employees get to learn how to use the correct manual handling techniques, they can avoid manual handling hazards such as forceful exertion and awkward postures, reducing the likelihood of workplace injuries.
3. Productivity and Cost Savings
With the appropriate manual handling training and controls in place, workers are less exposed to injuries which can result in impacted productivity and reduced profits. There are also cost savings involved when the company incurs less need to compensate employees for workplace injuries.
4. More Effective Communication
Workers and managers should go through the manual handling training together and then communicate and brainstorm about how to implement enhanced safety procedures in the workplace. Employees are more motivated to communicate and ensure a safe work environment.
5. Opportunities to Practice
Training helps employees stay refreshed and ensures that they get the opportunity to engage in safe manual handling practices under supervision. Relevant information and skills are passed to employees during refresher training on effective practices. This helps them improve on things they may have forgotten as well as learn any new techniques that may have been incorporated.
Manual Handling Course
Manual handling training can begin with an online on an in-person course which is focused on awareness of the risks associated with moving human and inanimate loads, teaching workers how to make risk assessments, and teaching appropriate manual handling techniques. The online course will be complemented by practical demonstration through a face-to-face session.
For participants to gain a full understanding of safe manual handling practices, a manual handling course usually covers the following elements:
- Knowledge assessment of participants on safe manual handling
- Risk assessments in manual handling and workplace health and safety
- Safety requirements for manual handling
- Demonstration of safe manual handling techniques
By the end of a manual handling course, participants should be able to achieve the following learning outcomes:
- Name the types of injuries and negative impact on health and safety due to poor manual handling practices
- Explain the risks and hazards in manual handling
- Describe the duties of the employer and employee in complying with workplace health and safety requirements
- Describe how to conduct a risk assessment in manual handling
- Describe safe manual handling practices and the core principles
- Describe how to manage manual handling risks
Manual handling refresher training can also be delivered for participants who have attended previous training before and need to update their knowledge due to changes in the work environment. This is why partnering with the appropriate training resource software can help not only train your employees but ensure that their knowledge is regularly refreshed.
Manual Handling Training Resources
Online learning via training and assessment software can be utilised for manual handling training as it allows participants to complete the training at their own pace. However, using traditional training software to teach manual handling skills still falls short of in-person demonstration and face-to-face training, which can be overcome with the blended learning approach.
At Cloud Assess, we offer such a blended learning approach by marrying online coursework with in-person training. There can also be live video calls for assessment purposes and participants can gain a certificate upon the completion of training.
Access Free Manual Handling Training Resources
Have a go at the manual handling training offered by Cloud Assess with a free trial for your organisation. While there is no commitment, you can make use of the free trial to access the manual handling training modules for your employees to boost their workplace learning and safety.
