Topical tips: Manual Handling

This the first of a new regular service providing answers to frequently asked questions.

Question: I work in a large supermarket and want to know what I can do about roll cages and having to stretch and twist when unloading them and pulling them to the aisle.

Answer:  Working with roll cages as with many other tasks in supermarkets is covered under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (as amended).

Manual handling is the most common cause of accidents and ill-health in the workplace and affects many Usdaw members in various sectors. According to Government figures, more than 1 million people suffer from some form of work-related musculo-skeletal disorder (back pain, RSI, etc). Just over half of these injuries are caused by manual handling.

Lifting heavy weights is not the only cause of manual handling injuries. Other factors like repetitive lifting, awkward postures, unstable loads, pulling and pushing loads, twisting and stretching etc, can all cause problems.

Roll cages are the largest single cause of manual handling injuries in shops. This is due to cages being badly stacked, having heavy loads, damaged or missing wheels and general poor maintenance.

A hierarchy of measures are required to reduce the risks of manual handling, these are;

(a) avoid hazardous manual handling where possible

(b) assess any hazardous manual handling that can't be avoided

(c) reduce the risk of injury so far as is reasonably practicable

Most employers give training in manual handling and believe that this is enough. It is not, training must be specific to the task being performed but this alone will not remove the risk of injury and must be done in conjunction with other actions.

With roll cages many of the major retailers now issue procedures saying that only one loaded cage at a time may be pulled.

HSE Guidance gives advice on the forces required to push and pull roll cages. For starting and stopping loads, forces in excess of 20 kilograms force for men and 15 kilograms force for women are likely to cause injury. For keeping the load moving at a steady pace the figures are 10 kilograms force for men and 7 kilograms force for women.

As a rough guide at least eight kilograms of force are needed to push a 400kg trolley over a flat surface. If the floor is sloped or uneven or the wheels are faulty the force required rises substantially.

One HSE study found that a roll-cage loaded with five layers of two litre cola bottles weighed around 700kg and required a force of 31kg to get it moving – well in excess of guideline figures.

Usdaw has its own safety reps guide Preventing Manual Handling Injuries:

www.usdaw.org.uk/getactive/resource_library/1049090493_16782_16.html

This informs you of the best way to approach the subject, what you should and should not do and what your employer should be doing to help prevent injuries.

You can also view additional Health and Safety resources online:

www.usdaw.org.uk/resource_library/#HealthandSafety

Do you have problems with roll cages in your work? Log on to our  discussion forum to share your concerns with fellow reps - http://www.usdaw.org.uk/healthandsafety/forums/

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