Manual Handling Policy

1. Introduction

BrisDoc is committed to ensuring that staff are able to work in an environment that supports their health, safety and welfare by providing clear expectations and safe systems for the management of loads. BrisDoc recognises that the consequences to an individual of injury through manual handling at work, for example pain, suffering, stress/anxiety, loss of confidence; may have an adverse impact on the efficient and effective working of the organisation leading to, for example reduced productivity, sickness/absence. This in turn could have an adverse impact on patient care. BrisDoc has a statutory duty to ensure that all users of provided services are cared for in a safe environment, that staff can work in a safe environment, and that risks are reduced to a minimum. This is consistent with BrisDoc’s values and corporate objectives as set out in the four-way business model for providing high quality care to patients and staff. This policy forms part of BrisDoc’s Health and Safety Manual.

2. Objectives of the Policy

The objectives of this policy are to ensure that safe and robust systems are put in place for a consistent approach to the assessment and management of manual handling operations by all BrisDoc staff, and that all staff are clear of their responsibilities with respect to safe manual handling and its management. BrisDoc is committed to undertaking suitable and sufficient risk assessments, and to put in place suitable control measures that will minimise the risk of injuries from manual handling operations. This policy will ensure manual handling is managed in accordance with BrisDoc’s governance processes for health and safety as set out in the structure below.

3. Legislation

3.1 Definitions and Terminology

Current legislation in manual handling defines both the employers’ and the employees’ responsibilities in providing and maintaining a safe working environment wherein hazards are assessed and associated risks reduced to acceptable levels. Some of the required terms used within the legislation are as follows:

A manual handling hazard can be defined as:

“any transporting or supporting of a “load1” , by one or more workers, including lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, carrying, or moving a load, which, by reason of its characteristics of unfavourable ergonomic conditions, involves a risk particularly of back injury to workers” Directive 89/391/EEC Minimum Health and Safety Requirements for the Manual Handling of Loads

Hazard: A hazard is anything that has the potential to cause harm (e.g. slippery floors, a frayed electric flex or a heavy load).

Risk: A risk is the chance that somebody will be harmed by the hazard and can be quantified as high, moderate or low depending on the severity and likelihood of an incident.

Ergonomics: The study of the relationship between workers and their environment. Ergonomics can be used to assess the ‘fit’ between people, the work that they do and the things that they use.

Safe systems of work: Safe systems of work require risk assessment and analysis of all manual handling tasks undertaken, the individuals performing such tasks, the loads being handled, the environment in which handling takes place and the equipment available. Control measures to reduce all such identified risks to acceptable levels will result in safe systems of work that can be recorded and implemented.

**1 In this policy, the definition of a “load” also applies to “people”**

Reasonably practical legislation requires that control measures are put in place to reduce identified risk so far as is reasonably practicable; that is to assess the cost of the control measure against the consequences of the identified risk. It should be remembered that there are potential financial implications to the consequences of unmanaged risk as well as to control measures to reduce risk.

Emergency Situations. The regulation of manual handling tasks does not apply in genuine emergency situations – i.e. assistance should be offered if someone is in imminent danger of drowning or in danger from a collapsing building.

3.1 Current Legislation

There are several pieces of legislation relating to the practice of safe manual handling at work and the most relevant are listed below.

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992
Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases & Dangerous Occurrences Regs (RIDDOR) 1995
Provision & Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (“PUWER ‘98”)
Lifting Operations & Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER ’98)

The Health and Safety at Work Act (1974)

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 places overall responsibility for health and safety with the employer. The employer is required to provide:

“Such information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety at work of his employees”.

The act requires employees to:

“Take reasonable care for his or her own safety and the health and safety of other people who may be affected by his or her acts or omissions.”

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992

These regulations establish a clear hierarchy of measures to be taken by employers:

Avoid hazardous manual handling operations as far as is reasonably practicable.
Make a suitable and sufficient assessment of any hazardous manual handling operations that cannot be avoided and taking account of all factors: task, load, individual capacity, environment and equipment.
Reduce the risk of injury from these operations as far as is reasonably practicable and using an ergonomic approach.

The employee also has a specific responsibility to:

Co-operate with safe systems of work and follow Health and Safety instructions.
Participate in training and to report defects.

Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

The employer is further required to:

Make suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk to the Health and Safety of their employees whilst at work as well as the risk to the health and safety of others who may be affected. The assessment must be written if more than 5 people are employed.
Record any group of people who may be at risk of injury.
Give information on the nature of manual handling hazards.
Set up emergency procedures.

3.3 Roles and Responsibilities

3.3.1 Executive Directors

The Executive Directors will:

Agree and disseminate the standards and procedures as outlined within the policy and ensure their implementation.
Identify and allocate resources (staff, equipment and access strategies) to comply with control measures to reduce manual handling risks as far as is reasonably practicable.
Facilitate and support managers in the setting up of safe systems of work.
Ensure access to training for all members of staff who may be at risk from manual handling operations at work and the supervision of such work practices by a competent person.

3.3.2 Head of Service and Practice Managers

These Managers will:

Be aware of the manual handling operations within their service.
Give full information to staff on the nature and weight of manual handling hazards within their workplace.
Ensure they are aware of all their staff who may be at risk from manual handling operations and that all such staff and their line managers attend biannual training in safe moving and handling practice.
Ensure that all staff receive appropriate training before carrying out any manual handling tasks and that accurate records are kept of the training content and attendance.
Ensure that written risk assessments are kept and updated to identify appropriate control measures to minimise manual handling risks as far as is reasonably practicable.
Ensure that equipment provided is suitable and sufficient and is maintained in accordance with relevant legislation (PUWER, LOLER).
Set up emergency procedures and carry out drills as necessary.
Record and report any accident and incident for inclusion in the Integrated Risk Management System and take appropriate action when manual handling hazards, accidents or “near misses” are reported to the Health and Safety Steering Groups and relevant governance Board.
Undertake individual risk assessments as required for team members.
Give details of moving and handling requirements in job descriptions and person specifications.

3.3.3 Health and Safety Leads

The Health and Safety Lead in each service will support the Service Manager with:

undertaking risk assessments
producing safe systems of work
investigating and reporting incidents
sharing any learning within the Service and across BrisDoc
manual handling link role within the team.

3.3.4 Head of Governance

The Head of Governance is responsible for:

reviewing and monitoring the effectiveness of this policy,
advising and assisting Service Managers in meeting their responsibilities to carry out risk assessments and implementing control measures, as necessary.
Ensuring a database of incidents is maintained using the Integrated Risk Management System,
Ensuring manual handling incidents are reported to the Health & Safety Steering Group and Quality Management Forum, and in the Corporate Dashboard,
external reporting as required and in accordance with requirements of external agencies and RIDDOR.

3.3.5 Employees

Employees will:

Accept responsibility for their own safety – as well as that of colleagues with whom they work.
Undertake training offered.
Be aware of health and safety issues and the hazards associated with manual handling tasks including the cumulative effect of repeated manual handling operations.
Follow any control measures and care plans required by the generic or individual risk assessments.
Be familiar with and use available equipment.
Be aware of their own limitations and inform their employer of any circumstances that may alter their ability to perform manual handling tasks.
Report accidents and hazards.
Report deficiencies in the employer’s health & safety protection arrangements.
Ensure that they abide by uniform policies and wear clothing and footwear suitable for the task they are to perform.

3.3.6 Workforce Department

The Workforce Department is responsible for:

sourcing and organising relevant training that ensures staff are able to comply with this policy,
supporting Line Managers with referrals to Occupational Health and liaising with the Occupational Health Department
leading or supporting any disciplinary processes that might arise due to non-adherence to this policy
Ensure that all new staff are screened prior to employment for any medical condition that may require individual risk assessment in relation to moving and handling tasks, seeking Occupational Health guidance as necessary triggering any Individual Risk Assessments to be undertaken by the Service Manager.

4. Risk Assessment and Implementation Procedures

Legislation requires that all manual handling operations that may present a risk of injury must be the subject of a risk assessment carried out by a competent person and using an ergonomic approach. The assessment must be suitable and sufficient and if more than five people are employed it must be in writing. Risk assessors will be recruited and trained from the existing workforce and report findings and suggested control measures to minimise risks to their employer

The purpose of a manual handling risk assessment is to:

Identify all hazardous moving and handling tasks carried out at work and determine the likelihood and severity of any injury or harm arising from these tasks and to whom.
Assess all factors, including existing control measures, involved in the hazard using the TILE(E) analysis – given below (loads may be animate or inanimate)
Identify control measures that will reduce the risk of injury to acceptable levels.
Identify all employees who may be at risk of injury from moving and handling tasks in the performance of their duties.

The three areas of risk assessment are:

Generic risk assessment covering each of BrisDoc’s working sites and offices together with any locations visited by staff outside these sites as part of their duties i.e. Mobile Vehicle. A generic assessment must be completed at least annually and more frequently should significant changes in equipment, work place or staffing occur. The risk assessment is used to identify manual handling hazards and required control measures using the TILE(E) assessment.

Person risk assessment to be completed for every person whose management requires them to participate in moving and handling tasks.

Individual risk assessment to be competed for any member of staff whose capacity for moving and handling at work may be impaired.

4.1 The TILE(E) Analysis in Risk Assessment

Manual handling risk assessment can be divided into five areas, each of which has factors that influence the level of risk associated with the moving and handling operation. All of these areas require consideration during the assessment:

All these areas form the basis for both the assessment and the control measures that can be put in place to minimise risk and enable safe systems of work.

4.2 Monitoring Risk Assessments

It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that risk assessments are in place, accurate and updated at agreed intervals. Such intervals must be at least annually, but may be more frequent where conditions are prone to change. It is also necessary to review the risk assessments following significant changes in circumstances. http://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/pushpull/risk.htm

5. Training Strategy and Implementation Procedures

5.1 Training

Training in moving and handling theory and practice will be mandatory for all staff involved in the moving and handling of loads (animate or inanimate) where a risk of injury has been identified. Training will be delivered by a competent trainer and should be completed as soon as possible after appointment.

Staff identified as at risk from moving and handling tasks at work must receive appropriate training as identified above as soon as possible after their appointment or after job changes that put them at such risk.

Prior to completing a training course staff must receive competent induction in the performance of moving and handling tasks in their workplace before carrying out such tasks. This is likely to be from their Line Manager at work or another identified expert. All staff identified (by line manager, expert or Training Matrix – see intranet for the most up to date version) as being at risk must receive update training in moving and handling on a bi-annual basis.

5.2 Records of Training

The employee and their manager will use the generic risk assessment for moving and handling injuries in their workplace to identify the need for moving and handling training. The Workforce Department will maintain records of staff training.

6. Equipment Strategy and Implementation Procedures

Current legislation in manual handling practice requires that the first duty of employers is to avoid manual handling tasks at work. Where manual handling tasks cannot be completely eliminated, they must be assessed and all associated risks reduced as far as reasonably practicable – generally by the provision of handling aids and equipment, staff training and modifications to the environment.

6.1 Selection of appropriate equipment

Manual handling equipment must be provided in circumstances where it has been assessed by a competent assessor to be the most appropriate and reasonably practicable method to reduce manual handling risks to acceptable levels Equipment provided to carry out moving and handling actions in the workplace must be:

fit for the purpose
available in sufficient quantity
maintained in good working order
cleaned to a standard to avoid cross-infection

6.2 Maintenance and monitoring of equipment

The Health and Safety Executive have issued regulations that apply to the use and maintenance of equipment provided for use in the workplace; details of which are given below.

Provision & Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (“PUWER ‘98”)

These regulations specify requirements of the employer to ensure that all equipment provided for use at work is:

Suitable for the intended use
maintained in a safe condition so that people’s health and safety is not at risk
Inspected in certain circumstances to ensure that it is and continues to be safe for use. Inspection must be by a competent person and a record must be kept.

Lifting Operations & Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER ’98)

n addition to PUWER above, these are further requirements to maintain the safety of lifting equipment – i.e. hoists, slings and adjustable height furniture; in particular these regulations specify the time scale for maintenance:

Equipment for lifting persons that may be exposed to conditions causing deterioration is inspected and maintained at six monthly intervals and a record kept of the inspection
Employees should be trained in use of equipment and in pre-use checks

7. Monitoring of Manual Handling Accidents and Incidents

Any manual handling injury or incident that occurs at work must be recorded in the Integrated Risk Management System and reported as soon as possible. Manual handling accidents and incidents will be reported to and monitored by the Health and Safety Steering Groups and relevant governance Board. Any required remedial action to prevent a similar injury or incident must be undertaken immediately or warning signs put in place to reduce the risk of further incident. Learning arising from incidents will be shared across services and reviewed by the relevant governance Board.

Incident report forms must be completed in all cases and sent to the Service Manager for assessment and Head of Governance. Serious accidents at work must also be reported immediately and directly to the Health and Safety Executive under the RIDDOR regulations.

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases & Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995

The employer is required to report to the Health and Safety Executive in the following circumstances:

Death or major injury (e.g. fractures, dislocation, amputation, loss of sight, unconsciousness)
Injury occurring at work and lasting more than seven consecutive days (including days that they would not normally work) not including the day of the incident.
Disease or Dangerous occurrence (e.g. failure of mechanical equipment)

Accidents and incidents occurring singly or in a series will indicate hazards in the workplace with insufficient control measures to manage or reduce the level of risk. Serious or repeated lesser incidents or “near misses” should trigger either a review of the risk assessment or a full investigation by the Service Manager in conjunction with the Head of Governance.

8. Related Policies and Procedures

Risk Management Policy
Health and Safety Policy
Incident Reporting Policy
Induction Policy
Training & Development Policy
Disciplinary Policy

9. Change Register

Date	Reviewed and amended by	Revision details	Issue number
June 2011		Riddor information updated to show that new legislation will be announced, with changes coming into effect April 2012.
September 2012		Riddor updates are now incorporated into the policy. Update by new policy owner
21/02/2014	CLN	Formatting, updated roles and responsibilities, new manual handling assessment form, inclusion of related policies and procedures. Review for HHS.
19/06/2016	CLN	Update values slide, change responsibility for screening preemployment to HR and add undertaking individual risk assessments to Service Managers.
August 2019	CLN	Update titles and H&S structure in relation to the new governance structure. Routine review.
06/03/2024	MD	Changes made to owner and approving director, review date moved to 2025 as agreed with RH.