Moving and handling are about using your body to lift, move, hold or support a load manually.
Moving and handling includes:
- Lifting
- Carrying
- Pulling
- Pushing
- Static holding (holding in one position)
- Lowering
- Reaching/stretching
- Supporting.
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (as amended) (MHOR) cover manual handling. The requirements of these regulations can be summarised:
- remove risks of injury associated with moving and handling activities;
- if you can’t remove the injury risks, then you assess them;
- take the necessary measures to reduce the risk of injury to the lowest level possible;
- inform, instruct and train your workers in moving and handling.
There are four factors – LITE – that you must consider when carrying out a moving and handling assessment:
- Load – what is being carried or moved?
- Individual – who is moving and/or handling the load?
- Task – what does the activity actually involve? And how will it be undertaken?
- Environment – where will the moving and handling activity be carried out?
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