In other cases, where the assessment could not easily be repeated, it will be necessary to record a manual handling risk assessment. Copies of this checklist can also be obtained from the Safety Services Office web page or by contacting the office directly. For any employee whose work involves a significant proportion of routine or repetitive heavy manual handling, detailed attention needs to be given to potential risks and the ways in which such risks can be minimised. To help identify situations where a full risk assessment is necessary, HSE has developed a filter to screen out straightforward cases, based on the weight of the load and the position of the load relative to the operator s body. This sets out an approximate boundary within which the load is unlikely to create a risk of injury that would warrant a detailed assessment.
Task look at the task in the context of the whole work area.
Account must be taken of an individual s height, age, sex, history of musculo-skeletal injuries and general level of fitness. This does not mean removing people from tasks, but looking at other means of reducing the risk of injury. Ask them for information about the task and if they have any ideas on how to improve it. If used, it is essential that training is given to people who are using lifting devices, and that the equipment is kept well maintained. Training this is important in all manual handling tasks, but should not be a substitute for changing a high-risk task.