Manual Handling Training Course

MANUAL HANDLING TRAINING COURSE

Introduction

The majority of Saudi Aramco workplace injuries are slips, trips and falls, but many of these occur while carrying or moving loads. Incorrect manual handling is also responsible for many other lost time injuries as well as chronic conditions as a result long term mishandling and incorrect load carrying or moving.

The manual handling injuries include,

· Transitory short-term joint, ligament and muscular strains, as well as long term intra-vertebral disc, knee, ankle, shoulder, wrist and hand injuries that build up over time due to repeated mishandling

· Deep lacerations, minor cuts and bruising, as well as skeletal fractures due to blunt and sharp impact from uncontained loads, hernias, spinal and nerve injuries, including serious disabling injuries and fatalities

Almost anywhere in the musculo-skeletal system can be injured during mishandling

The big surprise is that almost all these injuries can be avoided by using a correct manual handling procedure, which is simple to remember and easy to implement.

1. MANUAL HANDLING PROCEDURE

The Manual Handling Procedure needs to be developed once and used many. The procedure has a simple three (3) step process, and a fourth (4^th) step is used for monitoring and periodic update of the procedure to ensure it stays current to suit changing loads and/or conditions. The Manual Handling Procedure steps are,

a) Manual handling hazard identification

b) Manual handling hazard analysis

c) Manual handling hazard control measures

d) Monitor Manual Handling Procedure for effectiveness

The Manual Handling Procedure (MHP) is to be developed, implemented and monitored by supervisory and managerial staff, and every employee must be trained in using the procedure, irrespective of whether their job includes regular manual handling or not. The majority of manual handling injuries occur to persons who are not used to manual handling in their daily duties. The second highest number of manual handling injuries occurs to persons who take shortcuts or try to rush manual handling during their daily duties.

The manual handling training needs to be divide into two (2) categories,

I. Training for supervisory and managerial staff to learn how to develop, implement and monitor, a correct manual handling procedure

II. Training for all employees in correct manual handling procedures – training is to include general manual handling and also specific manual handling, customized to suit the respective work areas

2. MANUAL HANDLING – HAZARD IDENTIFICATION

We will need to learn all we can about the characteristics of the load to be moved or relocated

· Shape – is it long, short, tall, wide, circular, rectangular, etc?

· Size – is it small or too big for one person or several persons to hold or grasp?

· Weight – how much does is weigh, is it light or too heavy for one person or several persons to lift?

· Center of Gravity (CoG) – is the load heavier on one end compared to the other, this will cause an imbalance and increased danger during lifting?

· Handholds – are there handholds or can the packaging be made to include handholds

· Contained – is the load palletized, or in a container(s), in cartons, etc

· Grip – does the surface have a grip surface, or is it covered in shiny plastic that may cause problems during the lift?

· Secure – is the load properly secured, or is the packaging damaged, etc?

· Undivisible or divisible – does the load consist of many smaller packages that can be divided for moving, or is one large unit that cannot be divided?

· Sharps – does the load have sharp edges or contain sharp objects that might cause injury?

· Hazardous Materials – does the load contain hazardous or flammable substances, volatiles, or other injurious materials?

Next, we will need to learn all we can about the route or routes that the load will take

· Distance – how far is the load to be moved?

· Elevation – what height up or down is the load to be moved?

· Width – what is the clearance between the width of the load, and the width everywhere along the route?

· Surface – does the route have an even or uneven surface, is it slippery, is it covered in grease/oil, or is wet and damp?

· Stairways, Steps and Ramps – will the load have to traverse any stairways, steps and ramps along the route?

· Elevators – will elevators be used during the move, what is capacity of the elevator compared to the combined weight of the load and persons?

· Obstructions – identify any obstructions or tripping hazards that might be present along the route

We will also need to identify the lifting or moving methods available

· Personal Lift – if the load is to be moved by a person or persons, we will need to know the height, size, age, gender, and any infirmity, in order to estimate the safe lifting capacity for every person lifting. It is very difficult to accurately estimate the safe lifting capacity of a person, and standards throughout the world vary considerably up and down. However, safe lifting is not all about strength and body mass, but more importantly the lifting posture and procedure, and the type of lift. A good rule of thumb or starting point for consideration for males or females in a straight up and down lift, using proper posture and lifting procedure, the lift is restricted to one-third of the body mass for repetitive lifting. For one-time or emergency lifts, a maximum of one-half of the body mass for males, slightly less for females. But this is only a guide and it will vary from person to person, depending on age, fitness, infirmity, etc.

There are also de-rating factors for personal lifts, and the total weight must be significantly reduced when there is a bend or twist while lifting, the load is lifted above shoulder or below the knees, the lifter has to stand further away from the load, lifts are repeated many times, or the load has to be held for an extended period of time.

The other de-rating factor for personal lifts is training, since a trained person can lift a load many times without injury, while an untrained person may sustain injury perhaps on the first attempt of the lift.

· Lifting Machinery – identify what lifting machinery is available, carts/trolleys, pallet trolleys, forklift trucks, etc, whether the machinery is properly maintained/certified, maximum lift capacity, slings and ties, and suitability for the lift route.

3. MANUAL HANDLING – HAZARD ANALYSIS

Based on the hazard identification process above, analyze the data, consider all viable options, following evaluation develop a shortlist of safest lift options, based on the following process.

a) Hazard Avoidance – wherever possible avoid the need to use manual lifting if it can be done by other means. The objective of this measure is to remove lifting hazards completely, and this is the most favorable option.

b) Hazard Reduction – if avoidance is not possible, divide the load into smaller pieces, and reduce the weight, height, route and size of any manual lift wherever possible. The objective of this measure is to reduce lifting hazards, and this is the second most favorable option.

c) Hazard Protection – where reduction is not possible, provide additional protection for lifters to minimize potential injury and property damage. The objective of this measure is to provide protection where the lifting hazards cannot be removed or reduced, and this is the least favorable option.

Fine tune the shortlist down to one option based on total overall safety and best fit for operational needs, seek outside professional expert help if necessary in your evaluation. For repetitive lifts in the same area or areas, the analysis process need only be completed once. However, repeat the hazard identification and analysis process if the nature or size of the lift changes or the lift area or route changes.

INCORRECT LIFTING & HANDLING – LEADING CAUSE OF BACK INJURIES

4. MANUAL HANDLING – HAZARD CONTROL MEASURES

The main purpose of manual handling hazard control measures is to correctly implement the procedure by planning every lift to ensure that proper safety measures are in place, including that appropriate PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) is readily available to all employees and used correctly.

There are several commonly used lifting methodologies and all lifting plans must be based on the hazard identification and analysis process as described earlier.

The Saudi Aramco Safety Handbook (SASH), Minimum Safety Rules, states the following safety rules applicable to manual handling and lifting.

· Use proper manual lifting techniques or obtain assistance or mechanical lifting aids when lifting loads

· Personnel shall wear proper hand protection (gloves) when performing tasks which may present a hand injury risk

· Approved steel-toed footwear with heels is required in field operations, process areas and other designated areas

· Approved safety eyewear with side protection shall be worn where designated

· Approved hard hats in good condition shall be worn in designated areas

· Housekeeping shall be maintained in work areas at all times

4.1 PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)

PPE is essential during manual lift and handling, but it cannot prevent every type of injury. PPE can be very effective in helping prevent lacerations, cuts and bruising, as well as a limited capability against musculo-skeletal injuries. However, PPE is rarely effective in helping stop joint, ligament and muscular strains, which are best prevented by adopting a safe lifting procedure.

The most common injuries occur to the hands and feet and so protective gloves and safety shoes are the minimum protection for all types of lifting and handling irrespective of the work area.

Gloves

· Cotton gloves – unsuitable for manual handling, they provide little or no mechanical protection against cuts or abrasions, plus they do not have a grip outer surface, so objects may slip out of the hand during lifting

· Latex rubber gloves – unsuitable for manual handling, they provide little or no mechanical protection against cuts or abrasions

· Workman gloves – suitable for manual handling, made from reinforced tough fabric with extra finger and knuckle protection to provide excellent mechanical protection against cuts or abrasions, plus are equipped with a grip surface on the fingers and palm to safely hold objects while lifting

· Leather workman gloves – suitable for heavy duty manual handling, made from leather with reinforced finger and knuckle protection to provide excellent mechanical protection against sharps and pointed edges, as well as protection from cuts or abrasions, but they have less dexterity and feel when handling objects compared to regular workman glovers

· Chemical handling gloves – suitable for manual handling in corrosive environments such as alkalis, acids and bases, and made from reinforced fabric covered in synthetic rubber, with extended sleeves to provide forearm protection, but not as tough as regular workman gloves against cuts or abrasions

Safety Shoes & Boots

· Leather safety shoes – have leather uppers molded to a rubber sole, have a grip sole to prevent slipping on most surfaces, equipped with steel toecap to provide protection to the toe area of the foot against falling heavy objects

· Leather safety boot – similar construction as for leather safety shoe, except have additional protection in the ankle area to help prevent ankle strain injury during heavy duty manual handling

· Rubber safety boot – have molded synthetic rubber uppers and sole that provides protection to the foot, ankle and calf, have a grip sole to prevent slipping on most surfaces, equipped with steel toecap to provide protection to the toe area of the foot against falling heavy objects, suitable for wet areas and corrosive environments such as alkalis, acids and bases

Coveralls

· Lab-coat coverall – made from cotton & synthetic fabric mix, provides limited mechanical protection during light duty manual handling against minor cuts and abrasions, covers the body from the knee to the neck

· Full body coverall – made from cotton & synthetic fabric mix, provides reasonable mechanical protection during manual handling against minor cuts and abrasions, covers the body from the ankle to the neck

· Chemical handling full body coverall – made from cotton & synthetic fabric mix covered in synthetic rubber, provides reasonable mechanical protection during manual handling against minor cuts and abrasions, suitable for wet areas and corrosive environments such as alkalis, acids and bases, covers the body from the ankle to the neck

Eye Protection

· Eye Protection – safety eyewear such as goggles, safety eyeglasses with side panels must be worn during lifting and handling where there is a risk of airborne particles, during heavy lifting, or if the lift is any size or weight and is above shoulder height

Safety Hard Hat

· Safety Hard Hat – head protection using a Saudi Aramco approved safety hard hat must be worn during lifting and handling in construction areas, and also advisable when the lift is above head height

PPE – Workman Gloves

PPE – Leather Gloves

PPE – Safety Helmet, Gloves,

Eye & Ear Protection

PPE – Chemical Handling Gloves

4.2 Manual Lifting and Handling

There are many manual lifting and handling variations, and while some are inherently safer, other methods will pose a serious risk to personnel in the short-term and/or the long term. Supervisory personnel must always put the safety of personnel above the need to get the job done during manual lifting and handling. If a lift is unsafe, the lift shall not be attempted, and supervisory personnel need to find an alternate method for completing the lift.

To reduce the risk of injury during manual lifting and handling supervisory personnel need to implement a ‘safe system of work’. This means, avoid manual handling wherever possible, and where not, reduce risks as far as reasonably practicable, and provide training, guidance and adequate supervision to employees.

The responsibilities of supervisory personnel are as follows.

Task Evaluation

· Is the manual lifting and handling manageable, or will it tire and fatigue personnel vey quickly?

· Can the height of the lift be made more suitable?

· Can lifting above the head or below the knees be avoided?

· Can twisting or repetitive movements during the lift be reduced or avoided

· Can the size and weight be reduced, can the load be subdivided?

· Does the load need to be pushed or pulled?

· Can the lifting and handling be made safer and more manageable by using lifting aids or machines, such as elevators, trolleys, carts, hoists, roller tracks or conveyers?

· Climbing a ladder or scaffolding while lifting is extremely dangerous and shall be avoided

· Lifting and handling while ascending or descending staircases puts extreme pressure on the knees and back, plus the additional risk of trips and serious falls ,because the forward visibility is significantly impaired while load carrying

Work Area Evaluation

· Is there enough space for the lift?

· Are the aisles and passageways clear and free from tripping hazards?

· Is the temperature likely to hot and hands may be sweaty and slip?

· Are there varying floor levels?

· Do different surfaces have to be crossed?

· Is the lighting suitable?

· Could the environment suddenly change such as a sudden gust of wind, or water covering the floor area?

Employee Evaluation

· Are they fit, physically able and trained to carry out the task?

· Does the lift require unusual capability?

· Does PPE match the hazard, and does this affect the movement or grip of the operator?

· Is the load a hazard to certain personnel, such as pregnant workers?

Avoid Bending the Back

Keep Back Straight and Carry Waist Height

Divide the Load

Never Carry Oversize Loads

The responsibilities of employees involved in the manual handling and lifting are as follows.

Employee Duties

· Follow the safe system of work as directed by supervisory management

· Always wear appropriate PPE when lifting and handling, which must be specific to the work area and the lifting task

· Proper use of lifting and handling equipment

· Attend the training provided and use the knowledge in daily tasks

· Never put either themselves, or others at risk

· Report any accidents, near misses or unsafe conditions, immediately

· If pain is experienced during lifting and handling, stop work immediately and inform supervisory management, seek medical advice if the pain persists

Prevent Back Injuries, Joint and Muscle Strains

· Keep your weight/body mass index within normal limits for your height

· Stretch and warm up before lifting and handling activities

· Try to maintain a good straight back posture during lifting, never bend the back during lifting, bend the legs and use the leg muscles, since the legs are around seven (7) times stronger than the back

· Avoid twisting the back while lifting and keep the spine in normal alignment

· Avoid repetitive lifting for long periods, take regular breaks

· Never attempt to lift heavy weights, every person has a limit, use teams to help or better still use lifting equipment

· Wherever possible, avoid lifts below the knee and above the shoulder

· Avoid holding heavy loads for extended time periods, make frequent stops or breaks

· Place feet apart to give a good balanced lifting posture

· Place the leading foot positioned slightly forward in the direction of travel

· Keep shoulders and knees in normal alignment, do not lower one shoulder lower than the other

· Bend from the knees but do not over flex them

Handling Techniques

Safe lifting and handling means having a good plan, the better the plan, the safer the lift becomes

· Where is the lift start point and where is the end point?

· What is the nature of the lift, how big and how heavy is it?

· What are the lift options available, and can lifting aids or machines be used?

· Can one person achieve the lift, or will two persons or a team be needed?

· Are there any obstructions in the way and need to be removed?

· Are there suitable handholds?

· Is the hand grip on the load secure?

· Does the load have a grip surface or is it likely to slip when handled?

Lifting

· Keep the arms within the boundary of the body

· Keep the body relaxed

· Start the lift by raising the head first before the rest of the body

· Use the power of the legs, never lift with the back

· Keep the load close to the body when moving

· When turning use the feet, never twist the body

· If the load is heavier on one end, keep the heaviest part close to your body

· Never rush the lift, as this can lead to serious injury and/or property damage, better to move the load quietly and safely, than not at all

4.3 Lifting Machines and Aids

There are many lifting machines and aids available that can safely move loads of all sizes over long distances, which have more power than a person or team of persons. However, although they make moving loads safer for us, they can bring their own dangers if incorrectly used or operated by inexperienced persons. Accordingly, only trained and experienced persons should attempt to use lifting machines and aids.

Trolleys and Carts

The simplest form of mobile lifting aids is trolleys or carts that can be used in most working environments, such as warehouses, construction sites, offices, airports, railways stations, supermarkets, etc, and are designed to carry small to medium sized loads. Trolleys or carts come in all shapes, sizes and lifting capacities, and so it is very important that the size and type of cart or trolley is selected correctly for a specific lift. Overloading or overbalancing a cart or trolley is extremely dangerous, which may result in injury or property damage. So the weight of the load must not be greater than the stated maximum capacity of the cart or trolley, and the physical size of load must not be larger or overhang the cart or trolley, as this will cause serious stability problems and it may fall over.

Light Duty Trolleys & Carts

Medium Duty Cart

Most trolleys or carts are not equipped with a braking system to slow them down or to park them safely, so they should not be used ascending or descending slopes and ramps without very special care. Moreover, they must never be parked on slopes and ramps, with or without a load, since even types with a simple friction brake on one (1) wheel, may not hold on some gradients. The obvious injury risks from trolleys or carts are often foot injuries caused by the wheels, plus abrasions and bruises caused by uncontrolled carts, or carts that have overbalanced on uneven surfaces, or have been overloaded and used on any surface.

Care and maintenance of trolleys or carts is essential, how often do we used badly maintained trolleys or carts at supermarkets with damaged wheels that are very difficult to control, and this also occurs in the workplace. Damaged or badly maintained trolleys or carts must not be used under any circumstances and they need to be removed from service until they are either repaired or replaced with new.

Pallet Truck – With Hydraulic Jacking Device

Pallet Trucks

A pallet truck is really a heavy-duty trolley or cart and is designed to safely move palletized goods or materials by one (1) person, generally in warehouse or similar type operations. The pallet truck has two forks to fit under the wooden pallet similar in design to a forklift truck. The two forks have a hand operated hydraulic jacking system to lift the palletized goods up to one (1) ton in weight. Once the heavy pallet has been jacked up, the load stays in place by the simple friction of the weight of the load pressing down on the forks. This means that pushing the pallet truck is much safer than pulling it, since due to the design the load has a back stop when it is pushed, but the pallet trucks forks can easily pull out of the load pallet if it is pulled too quickly, which can be very hazardous.

Accordingly, only trained persons are to use a pallet truck. Assess hazards along the route before moving. Ensure that there is sufficient clearance on both sides of the route for the pallet load, with no uneven surfaces or obstacles. When pushing the pallet truck, use the power in your legs, not your back, and push off in an even and controlled manner. Once the pallet truck is moving maintain a steady speed, and steer gently avoiding any sudden movements. Maintain your vision ahead along the route and then the destination is reached, come to a stop gently and after aligning the load in the desired location, release the hydraulic jacking mechanism making sure to keep you feet well clear.

Most pallet trucks are not equipped with a braking system to slow them down and many do not have a parking brake either. Pallet trucks should not be used ascending or descending slopes due to the weight of the load. The obvious injury risks from pallet trucks are often foot injuries caused by the wheels, plus abrasions, bruises, broken bones, lacerations caused by uncontrolled pallet trucks overbalancing during sudden steering movements, or have toppled over on uneven surfaces or have struck an object.

Care and maintenance of pallet trucks is essential, since a damaged steering mechanism, failed hydraulic jacking unit, or worn out wheels can make the pallet truck unstable and difficult to control which is very dangerous. Damaged or badly maintained pallet trucks must not be used under any circumstances and they need to be removed from service until they are either repaired or replaced with new.

Pulley Hoists and Electrical Hoists

Pulley hoists and electrical hoists are very powerful and can lift very heavy weights vertically up or down, but they require specially trained riggers with Saudi Aramco certification to safely operate them, plus the equipment itself also needs to be certified with a valid Saudi Aramco inspection sticker.

Untrained personnel must never attempt to operate, use or tamper with Pulley hoists and electrical hoists, as they can cause serious injuries or fatalities, as well as significant property damage. The training and certification of riggers and hoist operators is very detailed and beyond the scope of this training program.

Forklift Trucks and Cranes

Forklift trucks and cranes are very powerful and can lift very heavy weights, and they require specially trained personnel with Saudi Aramco certification to operate them, plus the equipment itself also needs to be certified with a valid Saudi Aramco inspection sticker.

Untrained personnel must never attempt to operate, use or tamper with forklift trucks and cranes, as they can cause serious injuries and/or fatalities, as well as significant property damage. The training and certification of forklift drivers, crane operators and associated riggers is very detailed and beyond the scope of this training program.

5. MONITORING – MANUAL HANDLING PROCEDURE

Even the best Manual Handling Procedure (MHP) is worthless unless it is properly implemented and monitored by managerial supervisory staff. Effective monitoring the MHP has four (4) important steps and all of them must be implemented by managerial supervisory staff.

a) Communicate – the MHP shall be communicated to all employees, irrespective of job or position and at every level. If we miss a person the statistics show that will be the person most likely to be injured during lifting and handling.

b) Training – the all employees need to be trained in the MHP, and this includes new-hires at orientation and later for refresher training for existing employees to ensure they are following the MHP on a daily basis.

c) Inspection – we should not trust to luck that the MHP is being properly implemented and all employees are correctly using it. Carry out planned and unplanned ad-hoc inspections of the MHP, this is to include the PPE, lifting equipment and the lifting and handling techniques used by employees.

d) Near-Miss Reporting and Lessons Learned – near misses and lessons learned from incidents and accidents are extremely valuable methods of improving the MHP.

From time to time it is the duty of supervisory staff to conduct periodic revision and update of the local MHP, to reflect changes in the work area, the type of loads handled, etc.