Manual Handling
Writing, typing, moving and placing boxes and other items on shelves; and lifting, moving and carrying children and patients are just some examples of manual handling tasks you may have to do in the health and community services industry.
 | | People who suffer from a manual handling injury at work can spend the rest of their lives coping with pain and be unable to do a lot of things other people can do. |
Many manual handling injuries in the health and community services, back injuries in particular, occur as a result of lifting sick or elderly people.
To reduce the risk of manual handling injury your employer should:
provide safe work procedures, instruction, training and supervision for manual handling work activities;
provide mechanical lifting equipment like trolleys and hoists;
make sure employees do not work long shifts;
re-organising work tasks to reduce the manual handling involved; and
ensure the workplace layout allows employees enough space to move and work safely.
You should follow manual handling procedures, which may include:
reducing the need to stoop by not putting items on the floor that will have to be picked up later (this is double handling);
lightening loads;
reducing bending twisting, reaching movements;
using team lifting;
using mechanical lifting equipment (e.g. trolleys and hoists to lift people);and
wearing appropriate footwear (e.g. shoes with non-slip soles and good grip).
| | Even though you may be young and new to the job, as a young employee you should speak up if you feel your job is too heavy, too difficult, too tiring or puts you at risk of injury. |
Slippery floors
Slippery and uneven floors in the community services industry workplace can be a serious hazard.
To reduce the hazard of slippery floors your employer should:
make sure the floors are even, slip resistant and free from obstruction;
make sure spills are cleaned immediately;
make sure appropriate procedures are in place to clean floors and maintain non-slip floor properties;
provide non-slip mats in problem areas such as the entrance to a shower room; and
install a small ramp to avoid a step between different floor heights in doorways or shower cubicles.
An example of the hazards associated with handling patients can be found in the case study Caring for the Aged.
