During the last 4 years, more than 145,000 workers have been injured as a result of hazardous manual tasks. WHS legislation specifically defines hazardous manual tasks & businesses are able to take simple steps to minimise risks & provide a safer workplace.
Hazardous Manual Tasks – A hazardous manual task is defined in WHS Regulations as a task that requires a person to lift, lower, push, pull, carry or otherwise move, hold or restrain any person, animal or thing involving one or more of the following:
- repetitive or sustained force
- high or sudden force
- repetitive movement
- sustained or awkward posture
- exposure to vibration
Hazardous manual tasks can contribute to musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). This includes injuries to joints, ligaments, muscles, nerves or tendons of varying severity, leading to pain and functional limitations. Traditionally, a physiotherapists role is focused on treatment of MSD’s to facilitate recovery and work capacity of the worker. However, physiotherapists who adopt an approach that is focused on identifying hazardous manual tasks, identifying the source and modifying workplace ergonomics is essential in the prevention of MSD and the promotion of business productivity.
Why do they need to do this?
SafeWork NSW data identifies that over the past four years more than 145,000 workers have been injured in NSW workplaces as a result of manual tasks.
As outlined in the WHS Regulation 60 “A person conducting a business or undertaking must manage risks to health and safety relating to a musculoskeletal disorder associated with a hazardous manual task”. By engaging Health Ability to undertake Hazardous Manual Task Assessments, ensure you meet your WHS obligations.
Undertaking manual tasks is part and parcel of doing workers day to day job, but not all of them are hazardous. To help protect workers and reduce the risks of injury, employers should identify what manual tasks may potentially be hazardous, develop controls and monitor.
As specialists within the Allied Health industry, HEALTH ABILITY have qualified physio’s with extensive experience in the identification of risks associated with onsite hazardous manual tasks. HEALTH ABILITY has successfully delivers hazardous manual task assessments and developed commercially viable control measures, to reduce the risk of MSD.
Step 1 – Identification
HEALTH ABILITY can facilitate the identification of tasks that can cause MSD. Though work place inspections & layout review, consultation with workers, supervisors, task observation and review injury statistics.
Step 2 – Assessment
A risk assessment is conducted to examine the characteristics of the task in more detail and to assess whether the forces, movements and postures are undertaken in such a way that they give rise to the risk of MSDs
With reference to the identification and assessment of manual risk, HEALTH ABILITY, follows the code of practice in and a combination of industry recognised risk analysis tools:
- Manual Task Risk Assessment tool (ManTRA),
- Participative Ergonomics for Manual Tasks (PErforM).
Step 3 – Control & Monitor
After the Risk Assessment, HEALTH ABILITY investigate appropriate pro-active risk controls, using the hierarchy of control, in consultation with you and workers involved. In addition, provide workers and supervisor with Human Factors on job coaching where needed on the control measures. At the end you will receive a Hazardous Manual Task Register, with corresponding control measure report. Not sure if we want to offer or not. To assist the monitoring and evaluation process, we attend site after 6 months from initial assessment to review the control measure to ensure effectiveness.
For support or advice with regard to Hazardous Manual Tasks, please contact our WHS specialists for assistance.
For further information, please refer to: SafeWork NSW