Introduction
Manual handling is a common cause of workplace injuries for many employees. It can lead to injuries such as back pain, strains and sprains, which can have a negative impact on your business as well as your employees’ quality of life. Manual handling training courses are one way to prevent these types of injuries from happening in the first place. The course will teach employees how to lift items correctly and how to move them around safely without putting themselves at risk of injury. These courses are designed to be relevant for all types of workplaces, but they’re especially useful if your industry relies heavily on manual lifting such as manufacturing or logistics.
In this blog post we are going to outline the reasons why you should take a manual handling course and why you should run them for your employees.
Manual Handling Is A Health And Safety Risk For Many Workers
More than a quarter of workplace accidents, reported annually, are associated with transporting or supporting loads by hand. Manual handling injuries can range from minor sprains and strains, right through to chronic pain and long term disability.
If you’re concerned about your own manual handling techniques or those of your team members then it is worth enrolling on a manual handling training course. The course will teach you how best to avoid these injuries.
Enrolling your employees on a manual handling course will help to reduce injuries in the workplace and lead to less sick days taken by your staff over the course of the year.
Manual Handling Training Courses Can Be Tailored To Specific Working Environments
Manual handling training courses can be tailored to specific workplaces and industries. Manual handling is relevant to any job that involves carrying or moving heavy items. Some examples are as follows:
- • Retail Staff – Workers in supermarkets and retail are required to lift heavy boxes of food/clothes and stack shelves on a regular basis. If this is not done correctly an injury could occur.
- • Construction & Manufacturing – Workers in these industries need to lift heavy loads on a regular basis. This includes lifting material off the floor, onto work benches or into containers. They may also need to carry equipment from one place to another within the factory.
- • Healthcare – Healthcare professionals have to physically move patients from bed-to-chair and vice versa during their shifts which requires correct techniques for lifting.
Employers should always make sure their employees have been trained on how to carry out manual handling tasks correctly, as it’s their responsibility to ensure workers are safe at all times while at work.
It’s also important to refresh your knowledge and skills every few years by taking a manual handling refresher course.
Legal Requirement
In the UK, the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSWA) requires employers to provide training for all employees who are at risk of injury due to manual handling. By law they must do this free of charge as well as make sure that all workers receive this training prior to commencing their duties using manual handling equipment or materials.
If Your Industry Involves Lots Of Lifting, Manual Handling Training Is Essential To Ensure The Safety Of Your Employees And Business
If your industry involves a high volume of manual tasks, manual handling training is essential to ensure the safety of your employees and business.
This is because injuries related to manual handling are the most common type of workplace injury. However, you can reduce the risk by providing thorough training to your workforce. This will ensure that all staff members have an understanding of their responsibilities when performing these tasks and how they impact on other workers’ health and safety.
Conclusion
Manual handling training courses are a great way to keep your workers safe and prevent injuries at work. If you’re involved in an industry where manual tasks are commonplace, it’s important that you provide employees with proper instruction on how to do their job safely.
At TL Training we run regular manual handling training courses in Liverpool, Wirral and Chester. Call us today on 0151 343 0588 to learn more. Alternatively, you can email us at [email protected] and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.
