Manual handling accidents 'can occur anywhere'

Manual handling incidents can occur at any place of work and are the most commonly reported accident, an insurance group asserts.

Phil Grace, the liability risk manager for Norwich Union, states musculoskeletal disorders including back pain, joint injuries and repetitive strain, are all frequent complaints.

Emphasising the importance of the early reporting of symptoms, he says this can ensure action is taken to minimise the hours lost due to the problem.

The first question he identifies is whether or not manual handling is necessary for a particular task by questioning whether an object really needs to be moved.

Mr Grace states: "The next stage is to look at the working processes and assess the risk of injury from any manual handling that cannot be avoided."

He asserts it is the employer's responsibility to conduct a risk assessment of the situation, but advises that this can be conducted with the help of those employees who will be aware of the risks.

Jo Staff, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents' (Rospa's) senior press officer, claims correct lifting training can help avoid incidents which means workers are in danger of injury.